Shaded Leaves, Cloudy Skies
by Jade Lark-dragon
Summary: It's easy to prefer a nice sunny day, or the elegant bloom of a lotus. It takes patience to appreciate the story in cloudy skies, or look beneath the shade of the leaves to see the rise from mud. Or the story where Piquan and her bird set out on a Hunter's path, recover their lost past, and help in shaping the future built upon blood, sweat, and tears.
1. Rewrite--ArrivalxAndxStart

"_Ding!_" Gears clanked and whirred, before sturdy metal doors smoothly eased apart. Gazes slid towards the opening of the elevator at the room's entrance, their owner's eager to interrupt their tense numbing wait with assessing the newest arrival.

A rookie, a face that hadn't been at the last exam. Young face with medium height, and the features of either a pretty-boy or girl, somewhere in the middle teenage years. A neck hidden by a white tightly wound white scarf and wide angular shoulders underneath a short poncho did nothing to distinguish the gender. Strawberry-blonde hair, a shade more red than gold, with messily chopped front and longer side bangs framing a face. Dark-green eyes framed by thin black lines at their outer bottom corners, the rest of the hair tied into a small cloth-covered high bun.

But the look of otherwise easy youth was offset by engraved light armor and weapons of visibly high grade quality; the metal plating of the fitted leather bracers, fingerless gloves, and greaves declared yet another highly-trained fighter, as did the waist-quiver and strung bow.

The eyes silently narrowing back at them while scanning the crowd, face settling from neutral into a stony stillness giving nothing else away when confronted by the stares…

Someone thought they were tough. As if just getting here made them good enough-

A small fist-sized blue bird walked out from between the elevator doors, trailing long black tail feathers with an unconcerned air. Its rapidly turning head faced the gawkers with unblinking beady eyes as though it were judging them back.

When the bird stopped on the ground behind the rookie who was receiving the numbered badge, not a few eyebrows raised in puzzlement.

_Why's it waiting in line? It can't possibly waiting for a badge-_

The redhead turned around, looked at them, closing eyes as the still expression melted into fond amusement. "Asuln, it's fine," the rookie sighed. "It's their business if every here wants to be a weirdly obsessive stalkers."

Rolling eyes at the bristling indignant looks from said observing-veterans, the rookie offered a lowered leathered fist

The blue bird gracefully fluttered onto it with a _Chirp!_, and from there it flew to the top of the rookie's head, perching on top of the cloth bun like a live hair ornament complete with the dangling tail-feathers.

The redhead then strode to an empty spot without hesitation, plonking a shoulder-bag next to the spot as though in a safe place instead of in the midst of seasoned, ruthless warriors with far more experience and strength.

Looked like the rookie had delusions of being a tough warrior, with an attitude to match. It would be fun seeing how long it took for that shell to inevitably crack…

oooooooooooooo

* * *

It was stifling.

Being crammed into a windowless pristine white room large enough to easily contain a whole archery-field was just as uncomfortable as being trapped underground for days.

And that was just her first impression out the elevator doors. The thick tension, as the unnaturally hushed sounds of such a large gathering pressed down, with serious matching expressions drawn on every face like warriors before the ambush…

…eyeing them as though they couldn't decide whether she was an insect or a real threat. To be dismissed or to be targeted… neither was a good option, so striking for somewhere in the middle was best.

Still standing before the funnily green-and-short being near the hidden entrance doors, Piquan fingered the circular white numbered badge.

Number three hundred, neatly printed in ink in the Common language on the top of the badge, but intricate miniscule wires of metal and sparks of nen within. Called to Asuln, as she didn't want to let him fly around with _these_ suspicious men.

Striding with a confidence she didn't really feel, Piquan strode to the nearest available floor space against a wall, and sat, drawing knees in for her arms to rest comfortably on._ No knowing how long it'll take for the Exam to start, with those sleeping bags and meal-packs set out. _

_Hmm, only a few people seem to be my age. Everyone else seems to be in their twenties or older._

Though it made sense. After all, people seemed to think adults had a better chance of passing, and only a few test-takers passed, even after multiple attempts. Quite a few astounded looks had been thrown her way after she'd mentioned her intention to take the exam.

From underneath her bangs, Piquan watched as the glances of the stalker-starers switched to the next applicant who walked through the entrance. _Sizing up the competition, huh._

Most of the crowd had the feel of average people… but one, whom the crowd distanced themselves from – like a school of fish around a hungry shark _– _had the slightest blur of the air around him.

The mark of a fellow nen-user.

Inwardly, Piquan shivered. Slicked dyed red hair reminiscent of freshly spilled blood, cheerfully slits of amber eyes, inhumanly sharp nails gleaming on every finger, and an outfit reminiscent of clowns and playing cards.

The man was the creepiest – and most powerful – clown she'd ever seen. _Ugh, hopefully Guro's present hides my nen well enough. I really don't want him paying any attention to me._

_His aura…, it seems so _wrong_._

As if the clown heard her thoughts, his eyes seemed to flick towards her direction. Asuln froze on her head, alert too of the predatory gaze.

Then the bloodlusting attention bore down. _Guro_'s gift – a nen-dampening jade bracelet engraved with ancient symbols hidden under her right arm bracer; historically used as a tool for spies – rendered all but a bit of her aura undetectable so that she could _appear _to have the average energy of a non-nen-user, so long as she used none of her nen abilities.

So the clown's aura wasn't causing this reaction. No, it was pure _instinct_ yelling for her to hide all her nen, and _Guro'_s training keeping _just _enough aura out for the bracelet to function.

_If your presence suddenly vanishes, the strong opponents will _always_ be put on guard._ _Be the blade of grass in a plain. Bend with every breeze. So long as your roots strong, you shall not be uprooted._

Then the focus was gone, the clown disappointed and flipping through a pack of cards with a bored air. He didn't find them.

Inwardly relived, Piquan finished making a sandwich. Whistled at a pitch humans couldn't hear, and Asuln popped out from his hiding place and dove to the sandwich, yanking out his favorite parts and eating them one by one.

As he gobbled his meal, a change rippled through the crowd. Amusement, cruel smirks plastered on some of the faces.

For an instant, Piquan wondered_ Are they laughing at Asuln? _No, they were looking elsewhere... towards a heavily sweating guy with a sword strapped to his back, frantically pushing his way past the snickers to burst out the entrance.

_Why is that funny?_

But it was better that the man leave then, then attempt to take the test if he'd lost his will. Being unprepared could especially cost one their life during the Exam.

But the way they had _laughed…_ they couldn't be counted as potential allies. _Or as a decent sort of people, for that matter._

As she watched Asuln finishing his meal, Piquan idly noticed the middle-aged chubby man approaching her spot, his intention focused on her like a scent hound to prey.

When his shadow blocked her light, she squinted-not-quite-glared upwards at the cause with irritation.

A large round covered belly – more unusual than anything else within the room filled with more muscles than flab –belonging to an overall plump man. Short combed back brown hair speckled with the gray of middle-age, a pug-like nose, grey tunic over tan long sleeved shirt and pants, and a bluish-grey canvas satchel.

He must have mistook her sweeping glance as an invitation.

"Hi there! This must be your first time taking the Hunter's Exam!" his voice cheerfully introduced, curiously glancing towards Asuln. Who was dragging his food away from Tonpa's shadow while otherwise ignoring the strange man.

"…Yes?" Piquan politely agreed after a lengthy pause. _He's very friendly, for a stranger. Kind of like those salespeople trying to sell something._ _What does he want?_

The short answer seemed to take him aback, expression suggesting he was waiting for more information to be volunteered…then gave up, and ploughed on. "… Well, my name is Tonpa! What's yours?"

"…Piquan."

"… I see! Does your pet have a name too?"

"…Yes…"

"Ah! It's an unusual looking bird."

"…Yes, _he_ is…"

"…" The smile was smaller than before, but still plastered on. Piquan had to commend his persistence. She wasn't the most social creature around people she'd never met before, especially with the suspiciously overly-friendly types. He was still here though, probably wouldn't go away…Well, at least there was nothing else important except waiting for the start of the Exam.

She halfheartedly started thinking about ways to continue the conversation. Evidentially Tonpa realized he would have to carry any talk at this point, and settled into a chatty-mode to fill up the awkward silence. "So!" he exclaimed, sitting too close for her comfort. "Did you know I'm a veteran of the Exam?"

A raised brow – while inching away to a better distance – was enough to spur him on. "Yes, I've taken the Exam for a total of thirty-five times, so I know the most about it!" Arms proudly crossed, he added "I probably was younger than you when I first started."

Grunts, and a few nods and shakes of the head were enough to fuel Tonpa. Resigned at this point, the teen let him continue.

He talked about the usual total number of phases the Exam had (five to six, depending on the number of remaining examinees, which explained why the competition was so cut-throat), what qualities the previous Exams had tested, and other Exam veteran-test takers and their reputation professions; a wrestler, blow-gun hunter, monkey-tamer, snake charmer, bee-keeper, bow-user… those she vaguely remembered, the rest blurred into a forgettable mass.

Besides pausing to stare whenever Tonpa made a too-sudden hand movement amidst his enthusiasm, Asuln continued eating close to Piquan. _Hmm… Asuln's not 'inspecting'_ _Tonpa up close like he normally would. _So Asuln didn't like him.

Azure feathers puffed up, tail feathers slowly snapping back and forth…_yeah, a strong dislike at best. Though…. there's no reason I can't try to get some helpful information…_

"Mr. Tonpa?" Piquan interrupted. Tonpa's halted mid-sentence about the poor passing rates of each phase, mouth comically hanging open.

"You're a veteran of the Exams, right, so do you know who the clown is? The one with red hair building a card pyramid?"

Looking past her finger, Tonpa glanced, and visibly shuddered. "Yeah… he's Hisoka, the crazy magician." Leaning in, he whispered with fear, as if Hisoka could hear. "He cut off a man's leg just outside the Exam site for bumping into him! You should stay away from him. I've seen a lot of people take this test, and he's one of the most crazy one's I've ever seen." His throat bump bobbed as he dryly swallowed, leaning back. "He's one of those types you need a team for in order to properly watch out for."

From his satchel, Tonpa's plump hands abruptly pulled out a plastic-wrapper wrapped bar. "So how about it? Let's help each other whenever we can, Piquan." Holding the shiny rectangle good in front of him, he asserted, "Here. This is just a token of my appreciation."

Piquan stared, then nodded in acceptance, catching the bar as it was then tossed. "Sure, thanks." _Guro_'s parting advice echoed in her mind.

_Your skills are good enough now to pass the Exam by yourself. But it's not just about fighting strength or abilities. It's a chance to find future comrades. Those who you can rely upon for aid, to share in your times of sorrow and joy. So choose them wisely._

Another smile, and Tonpa stood up and waved. "Well, I just saw one of my friends. I'm going to meet up with him. Just remember what I said." Walking away into the crowd, he turned around once before leaving. "Good luck on the exam."

"You too," she echoed. _He certainly left suddenly._

The bar didn't seem too suspicious. The shiny wrapper looked factory-made, with the standard packaging many of the city-foods had. Chocolate-caramel Energize; Guaranteed to boost your energy screamed the label, and flavored chocolate and caramel. Cacao solids and cooked sugar with cream, dessert foods. Both types of sweets were tasty energy-rich sources.

Asuln looked up from his preening at the opening-crinkle, Perched on her shoulder, eying the bar with interest. "_Cheep?_"

Piquan finished unwrapped it, and held it up so bird tongue could eagerly taste the new treat.

Only for the pressed sweet grain to be spat upon the ground in disgust with a "_Pfaah_." Disgusted tiny coughs shook a tiny frame, black tail feathers ripping the bar from her fingers to send the bar soaring over the crowds' heads.

Someone cried with demanding outrage as it dropped onto them. Piquan dropped a bead of sweat. _Definitely didn't like it._ _Hope Asuln's victim doesn't notice where it came from…_

But Asuln ate _everything_ that could be considered food. Nothing fazed him. _He only reacts that violently to anything with drugs or poisons in them._

So Tonpa's food was bad. The listed expiration date hadn't passed either. _So either the food he gave me was contaminated without his knowledge-_

-_or he deliberately poisoned the food_.

_Maybe the guy who ran out earlier also tried one of Tonpa's bars. He was clutching his stomach…_

Just as Piquan stood up to find Tonpa, a ringing alarm boomed from speakers located in each corner of the room. Nen suddenly flared out of seeming nothingness, making her almost jump from her resting position.

But Asuln hadn't budged an inch nor cried out, only turned his head to eye her at her sudden reaction. _Huh… Asuln probably sensed that presence and judged it a non-threat long before it appeared from Zetsu._

He'd probably ask _You didn't notice? _if he could talk.

Then the foreign nen shrunk into a suppressed but still discernable aura. No bloodlust nor battle intention in it, but she couldn't figure out just _what_ the foreign nen's intent was.

Alarm dying off with a rattle, the doors opposite the entrance creaked open from heavy iron lined wooden doors that materialized onto once-blank walls, looking like they came from a classic dungeon. A woman appeared from the fog issuing forth, dressed in a flowing layered purple and white dress with deep sleeves, elbows draped with a sash, long raven hair pinned in elaborate jewelry and ornaments, and the appearance like a polished Kakinese princess of ancient times–a smile of ruby-red lips, and a chiming bow.

She seemed out of place, like a delicate crystal vase among rough stone pots. But subtle aura shimmering with flashes of peach-pink proved her a diamond, far stronger than most of the whole crowd combined, and roughly the same as the Hisoka-clown's.

Hisoka had noticed too, by his hungry-eyed interest as she steadily ignored him, and the rest of the crowd inched further away from the clown.

Yeah. Definitely staying away from him at all costs.

"Welcome contestants all, and congratulations on making it… to the 286th annual Hunter's Exam!" the princess-lady dramatically declared, her voice melodic but clear and loudly ringing throughout the hall, silencing the murmuring. "I am Mokkinuta, and your exam proctor. Please, follow me, and I will lead you to the next phase of the exam."

A dramatic swish of sleeves and tinkling ornaments, and Mokkinuta glided away into the fogged doors from which she'd come.

As the crowd followed, Piquan packed away her belongings while Asuln jumped onto her shoulder, and they joined the stream.

_Hmm, interesting; seems like the exam will heavily feature nen, even if most of the other examinees can't use it_.

Still, she couldn't afford to underestimate the difficulty.

Despite the risks of death and injury, anticipation flooded her veins. Asuln caught on to her mood, energetically switching his tail feathers to echo her eagerness.

_Just how far can we go in this exam?_

* * *

Notes

*_Mokkin uta_ – xylophone song (Japanese, the equivalent language of Common/Universal, the oral equivalent of which is assumed to be commonly used throughout the HxH world)

_Guro_ – teacher (Filipino)

_Asul_ – blue (Filipino)

Kakin – a country in the Azian continent in the HxH world; loosely based on an East Asian country in real life.


	2. Rewrite--RewindxAndxNew

_Five years ago, somewhere on the Yorbian continent._

Soothing darkness.

Then a shift of awareness.

The cool touch of a damp folded towel. A cocoon of layered warm flat thickness above and below, in the form of unfamiliar blankets. Noise filtering in, recognition coming piece by piece. The steady tricking of water over stones. A breeze, passing over skin, whispering through leaves while bringing the scents of watered dirt and sweet fresh herbs. A barest hint of extra weight on chest, beginning to shift and rustle.

A child bolted upright. "Wha-?" Her voice cracked into coughs, dryness rubbing her throat like coarse sand, body twisting around to see.

Soft white tunic and pants were secured by a belt to her body. A small thick mattress and pillow lay neatly underneath, while plain brown blankets were tossed askew. A small wooden room, with windows opened wide to welcome sunlight and the cool breeze of a forest, curtains billowing in the breeze. Pots of tall flowers and herbal-scented plants arranged around two other rows of neatly folded bedding, suggesting that the room was intended to house a greater number, walls gleaming from a polished sheen of frequent cleaning, another hint of current habitation…

So where were the occupants?

More coughs, as thirst reared in need, before a strikingly beautiful blue bird drew her attention with an expectant _Chirp!_

Wide black eyes stared from amidst a tiny body of blue feathers that shimmered with flashes of colors in the light. A long black tail feather was touching her, oddly warm and heavy, curled around her wrist and tugging like an attention-seeking hand, while the other tail feathers deftly poured water from a slender gourd pitcher into a shell cup while she watched. Gourd set down with a _clunk, _a slightly curved black beak rose, a questioning _cheep?_ while holding the cup filled with suspiciously yellow-tinted water close to her face.

Carefully slow, and all too aware of lightheaded weakness in the trembling of her hand, she accepted the strange drink filled with dried flowers- Tried not to slurp too fast, once blessed liquid brought relief; the bitter aftertaste of plants eased by a touch of sweetness.

For some reason, the Blue-bird refused to let go of her hand, hopping closer or fluttering into the air to follow her in order to remain attached to her wrist. An experimental rapid swinging motion only prompted the bird to attack her hair, the sharp pecking and tails switching irritatedly about her face with protest.

Lesson learned, an offering of a drink from the same cup seemed to appease Blue into stopping it's pecking-scolding, though it preferred to remain on her head. And Blue's tail feather stubbornly remained wrapped to her hand.

At least the bird's tail feathers were long enough? He'd given her the blessed drink; it wasn't too bothersome to humor the clingy affection. But besides that…

A look around the calm-promoting yet unfamiliar room. _Why is that Blue-bird helping me? Where am I? _But when she reached for a memory, there was nothing to grasp. Disturbing blank.

_…__Who am I?_

A loud rumble, than a growling groan from her stomach interrupted with aching spasms. Blue stubbornly rooted to her head, she pulled legs together to stand, rising from a crouch.

Weight swayed on unsteady legs before settling. Like she'd hadn't moved her body for a long time, despite the sense of weightless effortlessness in moving.

Then the feel of a presence drawing near, a clicking of claws and padded quiet steps on wooden floorboards. A whuffing bark. A snuffling gray furred muzzle poked in, amber eyes staring from a grey furred body followed by a plumed tail tipped with white.

A loud chirp responded from her head, encouraging the canine-like creature to approach with brisk tail-wags. Almost as tall as her standing height, the canine stuck its muzzle, still sniffing, in front of her.

It _seemed _friendly enough… and the bird on her head wasn't reacting in a bad way or anything… An unsure pat to its head seemed fine; appreciatively leaning into fingers' touch when she brushed the base of his triangular ear. Except it's leaning bulk made it necessary to brace her bare feet against the floor in order to avoid being knocked over.

Then furred ears perked, amber closed with bliss opened into alertness. The canine abruptly bound from the room with a _yip_.

… "okay?" She glanced out the door after it. A narrow wooden hallway leading to other rooms.

A tall well-aged man turning the corner, with cleanly shaved face, long curly steely-silver hair tied back into a ponytail, heavily tanned skin, clacking with bead-fringed skin robes over a black tunic.

And the same affection as the canine – restrained but no lesser – seemed to radiate from him, before he made his closer, the canine happily glued to his side.

A raised hand. "_Pagbati sa bata, nakikita ko ikaw ay nagising. Kung paano mo pakiramdam?_" The words were foreign, but with the overall tones of a greeting.

She squinted her eyes. "…I'm sorry, I don't understand what you're saying-" By the faint bitter herbal aroma that wafted from him…_He's part of the group who was caring for me while I was asleep… _"-but thank you very much anyways for taking care of me." Hopefully the intent gratefulness passed through.

His dark green eyes lowered. _Is that worry?-_ But no, the gentle friendliness was all that was there. "_Tuloy po kayo…Ah,_ _Yunibasaru?_ _Can you understand me now?_"

There was meaning; she _knew_ how to reply in same… just in a slow and awkwardly manner. Struggling with translating the new language to her voice took seconds, unnaturally long with how her mind's instant recognition. "_Y-yes. I think I know how to speak this."_

Dark-green eyes flashed with an unreadable intent, loose fist against mouth in thought. "_Already bonded and awakened, _untrained, _no knowledge of the Tongue…"_ He rose from the leaning position against wall he'd taken earlier. "_Well, you two must be hungry. You've been asleep for quite a while,_" he said in a louder volume, reassurance as he resumed meeting her gaze.

Beads clacked along with the extended arm while dark-green eyes – interesting black triangles radiating down them – crinkled in an inviting smile. "_Lunch is over, though I can still show you and tori-san to the kitchens for a late meal if you'd like. Onkokiba here,"_ a quick scratch of grey triangular ears indicating the canine,_" could also use a snack._"

She fell into the man's slow stride as they walked onto the railing-lined walkway. Food. Food seemed good with her stomach as it was. The happy chirp from her head showed someone else shared the same opinion.

"_Will you be willing to tell me what you remember? One of the kyoshi at the Temple found you and Tori-san…"_

* * *

_Five years later, one month before the start of the Exam_

"Hey, time to get up…" Tossed blankets revealed a bunch of pillows lumped into the rough shape of a kid. The mattress was cold. _Really, I already suspected with the empty nest next to the pillow… _The redhead and her bird were gone _again_.

Lalnene shot him a sympathetic look over folding her blankets. "Need help finding her?"

Kyler sighed. "No thanks, no sense in making anyone else late. I have a pretty good idea of where the brat is." _Probably near the rocky area _again_… And the shortest way would be straight through the lake..._

"Alright." Lalnene replied, nudging Dalzo's off her ceremonial tunic while brushing away his tail so she could shrug it on. "Just make sure you make it back in time."

"Yeah, I will." Kyler said. Then dodging the busy rush of animals fetching items and dressing humans preparing for the ceremonies, he gave a mental call with a flare of nen. -_Lotra_!- A sleek brown and white head popped up from the wrestling tangle of aquatic beasts in the center pool, then darted towards the edge of the water.

Climbing and shaking excess water out of her fur, the marine otter jumped on his shoulders, coiling still wet body loosely around his neck while nuzzling his face. -_Happiness from the earlier game of mock-fight, energy fresh and rested from a good sleep. Ready to fight alongside him.-_

-_Good morning too, glad you're feeling good-_ He answered to his otter's Voice._ -How do you feel about a game of seek before important rite-of-passing?—_

_-Find tasty prey, to eat &amp; bring back for romp?-_

-_No, just fetching stray pups. They'll be near the good swimming-water_—

-_Consent. Eagerness to be off, to join comfortable water again, find and play with the Human-pup and Kin-pup-_

Agreement from Lotra obtained, a push of nen-powered legs rushed Kyler out the sleeping hall's windows and balcony. The resulting breeze startled Anser like he'd known would happen, causing the goose to shriek in an alarm tantrum to the groans and curses of his fellow-study mates stubbornly clinging to their pillows.

Kyler grinned. Everyone would definitely be up by now. _Now we just have find and drag the kid back from whatever she's doing without taking too much time…_

* * *

One breath out. Clay molding to her will, nen pushing it into sloping roofs, pillars, balconies, courtyards filled with arching trees and miniature rocky outcrops, animal statues popping throughout the halls one by one as an afterthought.

Hands dug into the clay of her creation's foundation, Piquan gazed at her miniature replica of the Temple as she withdrew her nen from the sediment. Asuln hovered in it, swooping along halls and rooms that she'd well memorized. _Today's the day when the graduates become Beast-Masters and leave the Temple… when they'll be leaving to pursue their future... When _I'll_ be leaving for my own…_

Then she sighed, collapsing the building, allowing herself to fall on her back to the squelch of waterlogged clay. _It doesn't matter if I'll never be a beast-master_, Piquan vehemently thought. "I _can _take care of myself," she heatedly stated to the patient eyes peering from her chest. Then wilted, the instant of fierce stubbornness cooling into resignation. "Besides, I don't have to have a _full_ empathic bond with you." The closed eyes, tail feathers swishing on her while Asuln cuddled on her chest was enough to read _comfort, patience, reassurance _from the bird despite not being able hear his Voice. _Still… would I be able to hear him… to feel like I truly belonged if I had my missing memories?_ she wondered.

Piquan stared upwards. The bare first hints of sunrise were already lightening the gray sky ringed by trees with purple and red hues reflecting on the canopy leaves. Wispy strands of fog-like cloud passed, whitening with the light of day. Water lapped against the shore, smoothing sharp nen-formed clay edges into softer curving knobs. _Soon it'll be time for the ceremonies…_

Then Asuln perked, eyes opening and head stretching upright as far as it could, staring towards the direction of the lake. A wave of water silently rose with a flare of nen – Piquan took and held a deep breath – rising over slick spikes to crash down into the hollow she rested in.

When the waterfall ended, leaving her complete soaking wet – Asuln had flown off before the water fell, little body traitorously dry – Piquan spluttered at her dripping red-gold hair torn free from string to cover her face and shoulders. "Kyyleer…!" she growled, rolling to her feet and palming broken spikes to produce a blobs of clay projectiles pelting towards the two mischievous auras.

Water swirled around Kyler to shield him from the clay while Lotra darted in between, the former carrying his tunic slung over one arm, shoulder-length dark-purple hair twisted into a braid. The otter streaked towards Asuln, the two animals exchanged a flurry of blows.

Kyler flashed a triumphant grin at his untouched state once the retaliatory storm ended, then groaned with mock disappointment when clay splattered against his chest. "_Magandang umaga_, Piquan. You didn't forget about my graduation today, did you?" Kyler called out, swirling water around his fingers to wipe away clay from skin.

"Course I didn't," Piquan huffed, tying hair away from her face with flaring nen to dry in clouds of steam. A whistle brought Asuln back from the otter to her shoulder. As she started walking back towards the Temple, she turned to walk backwards while bringing a fistful of clay behind her back to hide it from Kyler.

Willing nen into willing clay, she recalled the memory of creating a playful clay otter, for a size that could fit in her hand, then brought forth a miniature clay otter. _There, his parting-gift._ "Here, catch," she called, tossing her creation.

One hand risen to grasp the smooth-rough object, Kyler breathed out with appreciation while examing the gift. "Ho… A sleeping Lotra-" came out in a murmur. The statue was hard, creamy white as though dried and baked in a kiln. An otter figurine curled in sleep, eyes scrunched shut as though either waking or feigning sleep and ready to pounce onto unsuspecting passer-by. The whole thing was hollow, a small spout rising from behind the head to form the lips of a whistle. A hole ran through the body to allow cord to pass through and make a pendant for a necklace or bracelet, while smaller finger-holes ran alongside the body.

"It's your graduation gift," Piquan said. "Have fun figuring it out."

_DOONG, DOONG_, _DOONG. _The echoing rings of the Temple's gong, calling all the members to gather. The purple-haired boy looked towards the Temple back-lit by the rising sun, then back at her. "I will," he promised, lake-blue eyes glimmering with uncharacteristically quiet fondness.

Before falling back to his usual lightheartedness with a challenge. "Hey, race you back. Loser has to stay behind to deal with the Headman!"

"You're on." Piquan retorted, already running past the other elder student with Asuln swooping ahead with excitement. The otter leapt into his arms and safely coiled around his neck, Kyler followed with a whoop, surging into the lake. She sped past on the lake's surface with featherstrands of ice bobbing in her wake, adrenaline singing in her blood.

But her heart couldn't help tainting the joy of the moment with sadness. _Will there be any moments like these after today?..._

* * *

"Going somewhere at this late hour?"

_Gah! What the- _Piquan whirled, stance unbalanced by the jostled packed bags tied to back and waist, stifling a gasp in her throat. She shot an accusing look at Asuln who nonchalantly perched on the doorway's arch -_why didn't you warn me? _heatedly, wishing Asuln could read her mind at that moment – before facing her _Guro_'s patient gaze.

"Yes Guro Lanyu, I was just… working on a new project!" she rushed out. "I couldn't sleep and thought I'd go collect some materials that can only be collected during the night. I wanted to collect some Lunar-Rose clam pearls while practicing my _tanod-gubat _skills—"

"Enough." A wry smile. "I'm sure you're well aware that the season for collecting Lunar-Rose clam pearls passed one week ago. I'm not going to stop you from what you're doing," Piquan inwardly sighed with relief, "-as long as you tell me the _true _reason. Knowing one's self leads to true strength, after all." His nen was serene but unyielding, reinforcing the sentiment that she wouldn't pass, wouldn't leave if she didn't pass answer well.

Piquan tensed her shoulders, then slumped them with a sigh. "I'm leaving…the Temple. I want to see the world. I've _seen _all the Evitan tribes, been to the Evitan capitol city already so many times." Bitterness burned her throat. "I… I _know_ that I'll never be a Beast-Master. Even if you say my nen skills improve every day, I never hear Asuln's Voice." _The whispers that I _forced _an Evitan spirit-beast to Bond… _A dry swallow, while cutting off the bitterness. "Now that Kyler and Lalnene have become Beast-Masters and left... – _me with people who will _always _be distant to me at best because of my unknown past – _I want to follow my own dreams."

Guro leveled his unsettling soul-searching gaze, his eyes steely. Then the elder spoke. "I understand. You still need to find yourself."

What came next wasn't expected. "How do you feel about entering the Hunter's Exam?"

* * *

Translations &amp; Explanations (Rough translations from Google, not necessarily grammatically or contextually accurate.)_

_Asuln – _blue (Filipino)

_Pagbati sa bata, nakikita ko ikaw ay nagising._ _Kung paano mo pakiramdam? _– "Greetings child, I see you have woken up. How are you feeling?" (Filipino)

_Tuloy po kayo_ – You're welcome (Filipino)

_Yunibasaru_ – Universal (Japanese). The oral language taken to be the most widespread in the HxH world (based on the manga and anime)

_Tori_ -_san _– "Mr. Bird"

_Onko-Kiba_ – _"_Gentle or Merciful-fang"

_Kyoshi_ – teacher, instructor, educator (Japanese)

_Magandang umaga_ – Good morning (Filipino)

_nakatataas – _equivalent of the Japanese _senpai_, senior

_Guro_ – teacher, mentor (Filipino). Taken in the story to represent a more specialized teacher in the Temple who dedicates more efforts to a fewer personally chosen students, particularly in giving the student's their particular fighting style and nen training. This contrasts with the general teachers that teach all the Temple students in the few subject they specialize in.

_tanod-gubat_ – "watchman of the woods", woodsman; person living in the woods, involving the use of wilderness survival skills in a forest (Filipino)


	3. Rewrite--AxDeadlyxClown

Craggy rock faces loomed above at nearly vertical angles, a few stunted bushes and trees struggling through gray pebbly plateaus. The air was thin, breathing taking a bit more effort than usual, but _Guro_'s daily physical conditioning kept her capable of moving. Asuln was a silent trailing shadow, his sky-blue plumage almost perfectly camouflaging him against the clear sky, her seeking the thin streak of black wheeling overhead the only sign giving his presence away. _Maliksi-paa_ carried her far ahead, away from the crowds.

A few minutes into the second phase, she'd spotted it. A neon-orange streamer tied to the slender branches of a root embedded in a nearly vertical rock side, from which dangled a metal compass winking in the passing light. One quick shot brought it down into her palm, and in it was a nen-imbued pointer in a likewise protected glass covered depression on a metal tile.

Compass obtained, Piquan and Asuln had left the trail, making their way at a more relaxed pace towards their destination of the other side of the mountain range.

The terrain flashed by in the same types of rock and occasional vegetation, with her senses spread to avoid the other examinees. Piquan hadn't found someone she'd particularly wanted to help or team up with; all the other examinees so far had been either too self-absorbed in the tasks or relentlessly dragging down whomever they considered "newbies". Plus, the compasses needed to pass the phase were limited in number. _Who's to say they won't try to attack me again. _It would just be a waste of arrows and precious breath to fight at this point.

But while there was that… they _were _in the Palachia mountains. _Might as well see how the Appa plains look from a nice view._

A bit of rock climbing up the tallest peak, with only a bit of nen used for forming claw tips from forearm plates to dig secure holds into more than the steeper-than-vertical parts, the rest of the climb made on pure physical work. Asuln chirping with encouragement down at her as sweat trickled down her skin, swooping at her with lazy lashes of his tail for her to avoid in some easy-training. A handful of recognizable fruits and grasses gathered from tiny patches that tiny reptiles scampered away from, with one irritated turtle-lizard snapping at her in passing before Asuln had _stared_ him into a hasty retreat.

Then an endless scene of rolling gold and green fields, with dark green forests ringing the mountain tops glimmering a dark purple they stood atop, the wind much more powerful when unblocked from every direction. _It looks so peaceful…_

Then Asuln cried an alarm, diving to her shoulder with hunched fluff, tiny claws gripping with painful intensity. The edges of familiar bloodlust rolled over them then, with a faint scream tearing through the air.

Unslinging her ironwood bow while drawing feather-fletched arrows from her waist-quiver, Piquan tracked a bloodied-haired figure far below. _It's him. Hisoka. _Five men crumpled with a flick of a gold-coiled wrist, stainless hands nonchalantly but deftly flipping cards, while his nen roiled with a terrifying hunger.

Though she and Asuln dove into a dense clump of bushes far below the exposed peak, slicked blood-red hair turned, and the pale white star-and-tear tattooed face was _eyeing_ her, even though a long gorge separated them, in addition to the height. _There's no way I could make this jump without help… can he?_ the teen thought with apprehension.

A tilt of the head, finger leaning against chin with a look of consideration, then a swipe of tongue on his lips caused her arms to involuntarily draw for her bow while her leg bunched to run _away_. Then with a burst of nen, the killer-clown leapt upwards and forward _straight in their direction_, a maniac grin splitting his face.

Her arms were moving before the clown, ironwood bow unslung, raised in aim, stiff grey feather bristles from quiver to string in one smooth motion—"_Gusty-dart!"_ she forcefully intoned. Tiny blue wings answered with a flap, wakening breezes into force with a _thwip _of released string, as her legs already pushed them in the opposite direction.

They hurtled past the descending mountain path, two blurs of motion. Behind, breezes-turned howling gale centered around the cutting whistle of arrow slammed into Hisoka's nen mid-air, blasting his presence below the rim.

_Damn it, he was definitely after us!_ the teen thought, heart pounding from desperate flight.

Whether for the token in her bag, or eliminating the sole witness to his murders…_We can't afford to confront him so early in the Exam... and his speed is definitely greater than mine._

_The only option… is to disappear._

Stomping into the ground with nen-coated legs, Piquan made her decision. Slapped leather-gloved hands onto the ground, and sent a pulse of nen through fingers bared into the soil. A visible flash of energy-

Then nothing.

Heartbeats later, the clown appeared, nen flaring with anticipation. But the whistling breezes did not attack, nothing but waving bushes and trees moved despite his peering searching aura. Crazed bloodlust was tempered by the petulance on his face, slowly morphing into a gleeful smile. "My my, what interesting sparrows," Hisoka murmured. "Perhaps I _have _found some tasty ones~".

A child hiding their face with a white scarf, with hair more golden-hued than his own, moving at impressively fast speeds with both drawing the bow and running away. And a blue bird whose flapping wings had released a flash of nen, just before the intriguing technique interrupted his assessment.

Seems like he found some quality fun. But until the little birdies appeared again, there were more fruits to weed, even if his… _urges_ were sated.

Pebbles kicked up next to the now empty grounds.

Deep underground andr completely hidden in Zetsu, Piquan and Asuln sighed at the same time. "Huuu... He almost got us there…" the teen muttered to an agreeing chirp.

With his strength… the clown would have an easy time passing through the exam. _For how long can we avoid him?_

* * *

Translations &amp; Additional Info

_Maliksi-paa_– "nimble-foot" (Filipino); in the story, a running technique where the upper body greatly leans forward so as to reduce headwind while all of the leg muscles are drawn upon; some variation of this is used by all nen-using martial arts, and by all of the powerful nen-users. Basically the stereotypical ninja style running


	4. PrexExamxTraining

Dense rows of buildings – their flat roofs too awkward for easy movement – in greater numbers then she'd ever seen before. In the distance, a spire of glittering glass and metal towering overhead humbler-sized subjects.

Piquan looked down at the flyer in her hand, Asuln already chirping enthusiastically at the town's resident sparrows from the top of her head.

The Heaven's Arena. Where fighters gathered to test their mettle and display their prowess to adoring masses.

Where Guro told her to train at before embarking on the Exam…

* * *

"This line is _too_ long," Piquan muttered upon arriving at the entrance to the Heaven's Arena. No one else could hear - the words had been meant for herself and Asuln's sharp hearing – but the sentiment practically echoed in the present company.

Fit-looking adult men – not a single girl in the line, _another indicator of how rare female fighters are I suppose _– waited in a line that inched forwards at the pace of a snail's gait.

And it was only mid-morning, the time when waiting-lines _should _be shorter. In contrast, in the wide entrance lobby not occupied by the waiting-line, throngs of people – young and old, male and female, and including the tough looking fighters to the fashionable wealthier types – freely passed through the high-ceilinged doors plastered with posters of the regular and popular Arena participants.

_Eehhh… Guro said to learn how to fight so I eventually_ have_ to wait in that line, _Piquan mused_. On the _other _hand, we could see what the inside looks like and come back later when the line's shorter…_

"How about it? Should we join the line or just go inside, Asuln?" the teen asked. The shifting weight on her head told of Asuln getting a good look at joyless grim faced male humans… then his black tails firmly jabbing at the entrance made their decision.

Inside… was like the pinnacle of the easy wealth to be found in this country.

The machine-chilled atmosphere every structure in this advanced city seemed to have, holding no notion of any unpleasant outside weather. Gleaming metallic-like surfaces, maintained by vigilant cleaners who chased after any stray debris during their polishing patrol. Broad clear glass-paned walls allowed for an unobstructed view of the surrounding city. The mingling of people to amounts that Piquan had only seen before in the busiest marketplaces or the largest festivals. Large yet thin television screens – distinct life-like images with _color_ – mounted on the walls to display the live-occurring battles of the first floor. The periodic raucous loosing of the sounds of enthusiastic fans as stadium-doors swung open and closed. The Arena workers – in fitted uniforms of yellow, lavender, and navy-blue, the white fist emblazoned in front of a star their common identifying token – walking briskly amongst more leisurely paces.

Piquan whistled with appreciation. Asuln swooped towards the high ceiling rafters above, his trilling call unnoticed through the din of the crowd and the calls of ticket-sellers and announcers. _I wonder if the building's just as crowded on every floor._ Everything was… impressive, in its high-paced urban way.

While Piquan walked around – Asuln following at his own pace – they gradually explored the whole bottom floor, since access to the floors above required either viewing tickets or fighter-passes, the redheaded girl noting the market area near the opposite of the entrance, where both independent and official Arena merchants sold tourist souvenirs – more focus on advertising the Arena's logo and the popular fighters than aesthetically considerate taste.

Nen familiarized her with the feel of the never-before encountered materials to be found here. _The building's made of highly durable alloys that would be harder to replicate… but the souvenirs seem simple enough, though mostly plastic or man-made cloth, _Piquan reflected.

And had to stop, to mentally cringe at a stall selling nothing but neon-colored shirts filled with the faces of Arena fighters. _I'd be so _embarrassed _if I ever got my face broadcast like that, especially on something like _that…

The disdaining thought was interrupted when Asuln landed in front of her, and Piquan focused on what he held. A food wrapper clutched in his beak… probably scrounged from the trashcan nearby a food court when want had outweighed interest and dignity.

"_Cheep?_" Black eyes glistened and widened in plead, shaking wrapper so as to capture the flecks of bovine-meat.

The girl sighed "Asuulnn, you shouldn't eat trash," as she took the wrapper away from reluctant tail-feathers… then her own stomach stirred to life; making her hunt in her quiver-pouch for spare coins.

_Is there enough…Oh, that's all the money I have…_ what amounted to a little over a thousand jenny, the rest of what Guro had given drained away by the costliness of a measly lower-class airship ticket. Barely enough for a snack for them to share, even if prices inside the tower weren't inflated from the higher city location, or the tourist-trap prices. Probably too conspicuous, if she went out and hunted one of the pigeons in broad daylight. And there hadn't been any conveniently lost coins or currency bills to shift into a higher-value, even if she would've made just enough to buy a meal and not harm the economy…

Piquan followed as Asuln gleefully led the way to the dining court area. _After we get some cooked food that's _not_ dried or foraged, I need to start earning some money pretty soon…_

* * *

Staring, she leaned against the smooth-glass.

A near-stranger stared back. Sky-blue hair – almost the same as Asulns main plumage – tied back into a rear topknot, a tightly-wrapped white scarf hiding her lower face and neck, black tattoos under her eyes kept but hidden with a dab of skin-toned cream. The same fair skin and wide shoulders, but favored short poncho forgone, corded muscle hinted at underneath leather arm wrappings – metal was banned as a weapon, so no plated leather was allowed – and a sleeveless high collared tunic the same color as her dyed hair, and long white pants to conceal leather calf-guards, the whole outfit completed with intricate charcoal print trimmings.

Genderless, with an already small chest bound. Ageless with a partly hidden face. Eye-catching. Mysterious

Herself, in a mirror. The disguise was perfect, well-fashioned yet easily discarded if the need arose.

The former redhead made to reach for her quiver. Paused, at empty air. _Oh, right. No weapons allowed, at the lower levels. _The rest of her usual gear was safely stored away in a provided locker, doubly reinforced with nen welding the hinges shut, yet… _it's good practice anyway. I know how to fight with my bow at any range, so it'll be good experience to do without._

Still. Nervousness quivered through her mind, so to speak. _It'll just be like I've been disarmed... except of my own free will. _

… At least killing wasn't allowed? _Not very reassuring when there's ten pages out of fifteen of tiny words on what type of injuries the Arena will and won't pay for- _

But Asuln tugging at her now-blue bangs was a reminder of assurance. _If anything happens, Asuln will be there. I may be disqualified, but he'll make sure nothing serious happens if any real trouble occurs. _

Outside the changing stall, there were met by a waiting Arena usher, before being led to the assigned arena.

_Aaayye, so _loud. A wave of sound and stench, the air full of sweat and excitement underlying the tang of cleaning chemicals, of the onlookers scattered among the enormous bleacher-seats occasionally breaking out into fits of excited yells and moans, as bookies with chalkboards round their necks collected bets.

And the elevated white squares on ground floor, each filled with a pair of rough looking fighters supervised by a referees determining victory or defeat.

The referee of the blank square she'd been led to then spoke. "Mister Piquan, I must remind you that no weapons or animals are allowed to be used by fighters in this section of the Arena. As such, your bird cannot be allowed to enter the ring with you or freely roam the fighting halls in order to prevent any possible cheating." A tightening claw-grip on her topknot told of Asuln's displeasure and the promise of trouble.

"Okay," Piquan quickly responded. "I still want him to be able to watch me fight though…can he stay close to you? I promise he won't be any trouble."

A long moment of deliberation, than a nod of consent from the man. "Very well. As long as he doesn't interfere with my duties as referee or in any manner with the fight."

Piquan briefly gave a scratch of reassurance than nudged Asuln. He reluctantly flew towards the referee, settling on the man's shoulder while fluffed in a pout.

_There's no helping it_, Piquan told herself. _I have to learn to fight without Asuln helping me._ As long as she didn't get hurt Asuln wouldn't scold her later…much.

And her opponent… was a _humongous _sumo-wrestler shaped man, even if he had muscles. _Nen unawakened, so probably likely to be slower with his feet… it shouldn't be _too_ difficult._

"Are you two ready?" the referee asked. A nod from her, a snorting "Hell yeah" from the opponent more than twice her height and four times her body mass. "Alright," the referee continued. "On the first floor, we appraise each participant's level. You are allowed three minutes to demonstrate your fighting prowess and skills," the referee said. "Now then, on my call… begin!"

She settled into a stance with palms flat and extended, knees slightly bent. But instead of moving, the other burlier fighter laughed, hands lightly resting on waist. "What can a small fry like _you _do?" he jeered. "You better be glad you're already hiding your face, 'cuz I'll be wrecking your fancy look in a embarrassing short 'mount of time-"

_If he's just going to stand there… _Piquan tuned out the mocking rant in favor of observing the other occurring fights. _Hmm… all the battles are really slow… likely because I'm too used to the daily spars at the Temple._ Distantly noted the appearance of anger in the rant close by. _When he finally gets around and attacks, I wonder how my strength will hold up without nen…_

A cry of outrage and a charging run, the bigger man's splotchy-red face gritted, arms made to grab and use the difference in mass to pin her down. _No discipline or control at all… and not likely he'd be better by much if he wasn't so angry._

But when she enforced _zetsu_ and experimentally moved her limbs without leaking allowing any nen, everything felt… heavier, resisting, moving more difficult without the habitual yet subtle use of nen to easily part wind that had always granted speed greater than all the other older trainees at the Temple, much less an unawakened fighter. _…Damn, I've grown too reliant on nen._

Asuln's tail feathers were thrashing in agitation – still carefully held away from the referee's body Piquan distantly noticed with relief – as he watched. _I've never used Zetsu for anything besides stealth; fighting will be a challenge. One I _will_ overcome, today or tomorrow._

But when the blows arrived, dodging thankfully still came as almost as easy as breathing, even with heavier limbs. Actually… the teen found she didn't _need_ to use her arms to lead her usual dodging style.

Even without Asuln's interference, it was a bit… _easy_ to continue dodging, whole body twisting and sweeping out of harm's way to her opponent's annoyance. Every move was visible, read and half-predicted ahead of time.

She even managed to push off the man's body and propel herself a few feet into the air despite restraining her nen.

A minute or so of dodging passed. When her opponent's breathing turned into heavier pants, weakened with already sloppy guard drooping lower, Piquan launched her counterattack. Kicks, punches, and a few chops for good measure-

… All solid hits, yet they barely fazed the man. "Hah!" he crowed while regaining breath when she danced out of his punch's reach. "You're a slippery eel for sure, but yer attacks are weak as a kittens!"

_Tch_. _He has good durability. _Five years of grueling training under Guro and a few less in Temple Arts resulted in _this_? _… Or I'm weaker than I thought without nen, even if I complete all those exercises Guro taught me each morning._

Frustration colored her thoughts, before Piquan took a deep breath and released tension to the wind. The slowed heartbeat brought calm. _Fine. If I can't win with _strength_….then I'll have to aim for the weak points._

Then dart inside the opponent's guard, crouch down, and before startled fists or knees could finish reacting, spring upwards with a palm thrust forward directly under his chin.

_Slam. _Breath cut short, opponent's body weaving drunkenly, fighting for balance despite his concussion._ Wow, he's still standing after a direct hit to the head. But not for long. _

A sliding kick, friction eased by smooth leather to skittering on gritty dust past otherwise smooth tiles. The man toppled backwards according to plan, dazed and cursing with a slurred voice but unable to get up.

Piquan breathed deeply, lungs and throat burning. _Turns out this fight was hard after all… _Asuln crowed with gloating and swooped upon her before her victory was declared, nuzzling her cheek while caressing tail feathers over her shoulders as though to confirm her good health.

The referee approached. Nodded, and pressed buttons onto the electronic device held in his hands. "Number 6019… You may proceed to the 50th floor. Make sure to arrive before the end of the day," he instructed as he handed a ticket to the half-masked victor.

"Thanks." Piquan accepted the ticket, walking out of the ring, Asuln crowning her head as he gloried in the congratulations and respect following their wake.

For the Exam… she had to get stronger. _And the first step to getting stronger always starts with the basics…_

* * *

A large fighting square dominated the hall, broad tiles smooth underneath. Bleachers filled with onlookers, enthusiastic with chatter. Dual jumbo TV screens whose displays switched between images like they couldn't decide what to focus on.

A preening iridescent blue-bird. A lean black-haired solemn-faced man with the brass-knuckles of a street-boxer moving through his stretches. A blue-haired figure, mysterious and unreadable with a face wrapped with fabric, exposing only watchful dark-green eyes and neutral brows.

Above the bleachers within the safety of hanging box, a woman with lively orange-curls of hair waved for attention. "Ladies and gentleman, you can now use your command boxes for betting!" she cried, voice amplified multi-fold, startling a twitch from the masked fighter at the sudden high-pitched noise.

A glance towards the screen, the light touch of surprise lifting her eyebrows. "Oh, the odds are slightly in favor of Piquan this time! Owin is well-known for ending his matches with lightning-fast strikes. But despite his young age, it seems the crowd's willing to bet on Piquan's winning streak. This young mysterious challenger's been rising quickly through the tower despite his losses on the lower floors, and it seems like those are all part of the past now And it seems like the crowd's willing to acknowledge that! Will Piquan continue his streak of miracle wins? Or will Owin prevail with his experience and halt this challenger in his tracks? Let's find out!"

"The match will have three rounds with three minutes each, with discount of the points and KO," the referee declared, raising his arm as the bird on the perch stand behind snapped into focus. "Ready…." Owin shifted his legs while Piquan held stone still. "Begin!"

A punch thrusting towards her head. A decent one, that would have caught her unaware… weeks earlier.

But she hadn't trained for nothing.

Dodge the flurry of blows; punches, kicks and knees straining to bruise and hit flesh. Frustrated grunts, as she danced from blows that _had _seemed to graze her, as the tv-screens and breathless commentary attested to.

Ignore them. Keep moving her legs, using her flexibility to full advantage to twist around moves mid-leap around an opponent who needed to spread his legs wide and planted on the ground; using earth-bound forms for a strong yet slow defense to fend off her testing pushes. While the swings of her arms and legs captured the crowd's attention, their true purpose lay in keeping balance, to her constant whirl of motion.

The booming commentary from loudspeakers. The calls of the crowd, contrasting with Asuln's statue-still watchful gaze at the edges of her focus.

Owin _was _skilled. Control and precision were there, despite hitting nothing but cloth and air. His frustration showed only through the growing sheen of sweat, no beginner'os clenching jaw or lapsing guard to target.

Unlike the first time in this Tower, Piquan was able to mind where she stepped. To keep well away from the edges of the determined boundaries, and being cornered into limiting walls. With body movements and instincts surer and instinctively countering for the swinging weight of her empty waist-quiver, left hand extended in a moving fist as though clenching a bow.

Despite her clear advantage, the match was drawn out. All the kicks propelling her off Owin's arms or legs were enough to unbalance his stance, yet the referee deemed them too weak to count as proper points.

As she'd meant. Practice. Let the opponent wear themselves out, while she tested her stamina, by closing the distance between her dodges and the blows so that they reached paper-thin. Reaching a balance between more and less movement was a key component in fighting.

And if the crowd was torn between loving or hating her style by the mingling of cheers and boos, it was their business.

She ended it in the final round.

A particularly showy rebounding jump into the air – to a televised gasp – then hurtling headfirst towards the boxer. The man's secure smugness slipping his guard as his fist and knee extended in a twin punch and kick that just _couldn't _miss her, in what _must _have been a mistake on her part.

But her arms extended, batting her body away from the trajectory of his attacks. She twisted into a leg hook that wasn't part of the style she'd exhibited book. It unbalanced the other fighter, allowing her to slap his head with the barest force needed to knock him unconsciousness.

A horn blared. An eruption of noise, this time reaching new heights, as the judge knelt besides Owin. Piquan waited, her muscles lightly burned with heat as adrenaline still coursed through body and breath-

A palm raised for attention with a confirming nod. "Owin is down!"

"There you have it folks!" the announcer screamed with renewed frenzy. "Piquan has ended the battle by scoring the only points made in the last seconds! You've all just witnessed one of the most stunning matches below the 200th floor. An impressive combination of acrobatics and martial arts used by one fighter in a single match; the Azure Arrow strikes again!-"

Asuln's triumphant scream echoed along with the crowds'. Underneath the scarf where no one could see, Piquan let herself smile in the thrill of the moment.

Didn't matter that these were strangers who'd cheer for anyone. She'd improved her skills; given them a good show, and they were responding without restraint.

She could afford to enjoy what had always been denied.

* * *

Translations &amp; Explanations

_zetsu_ – (Japanese) HxH canon term for nen technique where the user effectively closes off their nen pores and effectively release no nen at all. Good for concealing one's presence but also leaves the user vulnerable as they're effectively unable to use any nen techniques or reinforcement.


	5. A New Student

"Too bad, kiddo." A swordsman gloated while holding a squealing weird furry-rat thing tangled in rope; rope that Cieran had painstakingly set up, making the rat _his_ by right.

Steel rested against Cieran's throat with a sneering laugh. "Give up, this prey's mine now."

"Fine, fine; keep it, if you want it that badly," he replied, fighting anger for a nonchalant tone. _Damn this bastard… but it's not worth fighting over, not in this type of terrain_, the teen thought, greenery slick underfoot as he stepped back on the tree limb they were on. He raised both arms, to outwardly show his defeat while adjusting balance. _Just one misplaced step here…._

"Good-" A cruel smirk, saber slashing through the air with the intention of cutting of his head-

Only Cieran ducked into a crouch. Grabbed his staff from his back, and prepared for a thrust, abruptly pausing to flick a glance above his attacker. _What the- how could I not have seen that!_

"Heh, too scar- _Waaah!_" A ridiculously huge snake silenced the scream. Loops of lunging muscle silently ignored the panicked sword blows that glanced past scales with screech of sparks. Curved hand-sized fangs bit down into human flesh that screamed again before slackening into unnatural-sleep.

Then it was upon him. Cieran ducked, twisted, using his staff to ward off fangs and poison-green coils trying to crush him into place. Thrust at the hollow of its throat, and hit it over the head for good measure.

The serpent choked and fell, limply sliding of the branch towards the rainforest floor... along with the renewed frantic squeaks of the long-limbed hamster, as both its rope and the swordsman fell over the edge past his outstretched grab.

_…Poor bastard. _He looked away. More bodies to be swarmed by a living carpet of black, swept away like a clod of dirt on the street in the heaviest rains… no one really deserved _that_. _'Just capture one good-enough animal from this forest and bring it back alive', yeah right. 'Course that proctor forgot to mention those killer_ army-ants, _that make the ground nearly impossible to stay on._

Well, he'd already been in the Exam last year. _I'm already at the third phase; even if I don't pass this year, I can still be guaranteed admission next year…_

No. He couldn't give up yet. Not after the first time he'd failed the Exam. The past year had been bad enough, the recruiters more persistent. If he couldn't get a License in time… Cieran unclenched a tense jaw, and breathed. _Focus, on what I can do right now. From how the animals should be fleeing the army-ants, there'll be a better chance of finding one if I stick to the trees._

On one hand it took more thought to move, to make sure he wouldn't meet the same grisly fate as his previous attacker; his speed not nearly as fast as he could be back home. At least he was used to moving in precarious surroundings, even if the closest to nature in the city was the weedy lots and stunted trees; he had lots of experience running from the bad situations that violence couldn't solve.

_Make sure my staff doesn't get tangled, avoid the moss that I _know_ is slippery, duck that branch and use the next to jump to the next tree_-

A flicker of blue-and-black hidden by the limitless variations of green greenery. _Now is it large enough…_ Had to be at least the size of his forearm, something that could barely fit in the smallest cage the proctor had brought out.

One way to find out. Cieran slightly increased his pace, trying to keep bright-colors in sight as the thing darted from spot to spot in blurring-speeds, only pausing long enough for him to get a good luck where the canopy broke through to let sunlight reach.

A bird with several long tails. Too tiny to try capturing, although…._Hmm, where have I seen that before…. _Oh yeah, it had been in each of the crowds before the start of the trials; it's owner had looked like a type of ranger – with an archery-bow and clothing of green-and-browns designed to blend in with a forest – straight out of one of the fantasy books a blonde friend had shown him.

No point in trying to catch the bird then. _Still, what's it doing out here?_ Cieran wondered, with no sign of its redhead owner showing as the bird resumed its hopscotch flight.

Maybe it was doing some hunting of its own, whether for either live prey or plants. Flying above the canopy would be faster if it was going to a place in-mind, so it had to have some purpose in remaining underneath the canopy.

He didn't have any more snares left – wouldn't be able to remember where there were if he'd made more, plus they were shoddy copies of the proctor's at best – so he'd have to actively hunt down a target. _Which leaves me with actually _finding_ one; I'm no experienced trapper who can find animal-tracks out of nowhere. I've got better chances of finding_ something_ if I follow, more than if I don't._

He heard the din before he saw – in a cacophony of whistles, shrills, and whoops – an eye watering rainbow of large birds, busy stripping a tree hanging with clusters of purple berries. _Perfect-_

Cieran saw the blue-bird chased off with a mouthful of berries by its larger counterparts, and jumpstarted a half-formed plan. Whipped out a rope net while cutting off the pursuing birds from their target, to shrill anger that all-too-easily turned to him.

Buffeting wings and sharp beaks that threatened to knock him off his feet, if not for the light blow that sent them flapping back warily from a warning blow that sent one dizzily spiraling to the ground.

All except for one, that nearly struggled free from the net before Cieran finished wrapping its wings and feet, adjusting the net-bag so jabbing beak faced away from his body.

_"Screeee!"_ The rainbow of feeding birds scattered in a messy cloud, before gathering in a sharp pointed formation_. _Cieran caught sight of the blue-bird staring at him – _I swear that's an chagrinned look_ – with tilted head, before he hastily ricocheted off barked-surfaces to reach the ground so he could run away.

A glance behind, to see the _whole_ flock descending en mass.

_Oohhh boy, definitely time to leave._

_ooooooooooooooooooooo_

* * *

Piquan frowned from where she crouched on her perch. _Wha- There's Asuln, but who else is that-_

_And _why _are there so many presences following them? Asuln should have only lured a few-_

There was Asuln – flying closer to the ground than normal – aannd a guy in black, with a large bird strapped to his back. That explained the outrage from the flock, at least. _From the way he's flying, Asuln must be keeping watch over that guy._

She sighed. The examiner said they could do what they wanted to the animals they'd captured, after he'd reviewed them, so that eased her conscious somewhat. Asuln must have been interested in that guy, if he chose to keep close.

And that other bird must have been captured with Asuln somehow involved. _If I convince those birds to let him go, he'll have more reason to listen to my request. _She couldn't make sure all the animals got out unharmed, but she_ could_ do what she could.

_…All right._ Piquan leapt down, holding her fist up for Asuln to land on, to the black-haired guy's startled look as he instinctively skirted her in his run.

No intention of attack from him, and no one else around to witness what was going to happen. Good.

She released her bracelet and flared nen towards the mob's direction, stifling angry shrieks into silence and cut off distress-calls as birds crashed into each other from their abrupt stop, as a near inaudible gasp sounded from human-lungs behind.

Piquan murmured into Asuln's feathers, before he flew up to the hovering subdued birds to translate her message into the both vocal-and-body language of birds. _We mean no harm; two of yours must follow us for a time, but they shall be released unharmed after we are done. _The birds were visibly unhappy, a feeling of protest rising to a clamor with their extended dialogue of screeches, before Asuln's louder cry – command magnified with a small leakage of nen – cut them off to settle in the nearby trees with disgruntlement.

Through it all, she could feel the weight of the gaze behind her, which Piquan steadfastly worked to ignore. _He knows, he knows...No, he doesn't know nen, and Asuln was interested in him._

No hint of malice in his energy, but then, he wasn't awakened; neither had been Tonpa, even if the fat sadistic lard had confessed to poisoning the food earlier with sleeping-powder. _… If need be, I can knock him out if he poses any threat._

As Asuln led a reluctant bird back to her, the guy approached. Ponytailed black hair and maybe about Kyler's age of eighteen years old, but with pale skin that'd recently tanned, with long black jacket and jeans unsuited for the weather from how he was sweating, but some strength to him, in the set of his shoulders and the staff confidently carried along a disgruntled load, with black eyes glinting with curiosity. Piquan braced herself for questions-

"Thanks for saving me back," the guy said, nodding to Asuln. "And to your bird too, for keeping those off my shoulders."

…_That's it? No questions?_ Her nerves calmed. "You're welcome," she replied. "But since we _helped_, it'd be wise of you to release your bird once the judge sees it—unharmed." She shrugged towards the onlooking flock, and the two foreign captive birds whistling to each other. "Or else _they _won't give up in seeking retribution."

A small smile slipped, before lips straightened neutrally. "Of course; you have my promise that I, Cieran Durk, shall do so."

Piquan squinted an eye. _He wasn't speaking like that earlier. Is he making fun of how I speak?_ _I know that my Universal tends to come out formal-_ Her thought broke off, eyeing the way the guy bemusedly let Asuln fly close around him in inspection before chirping and flying back to her.

She squashed the urge to hide Asuln from the black gaze unabashedly gazing with open curiosity, a hint of calculation lurking beneath. No, she was not jealous nor overprotective. The sooner this phase was done, the sooner the foreign birds could be released back to the few remaining watchers. Checking the bird slung behind the black jacket showed it wide awake and in good condition, by the way it glared back and complained to its companion.

_I just have to cope with him for a short time. As soon as it ends, we can go our own ways._

Piquan turned on her heel, jumped into the tree limbs, and started making her way to the phase's meeting area, the large bird sullenly following when Asuln sharply called.

It came as a small surprise when the black-haired teen jumped up and followed at the same pace without a word, albeit with him staring at each foothold before making the jump. _Huh. Not bad for someone who wasn't trained by Evitan warriors. At least he can pull his weight. _Different from Tonpa too, as much as night and day; no forced prompts at talk, and no questions as though he could sense her reluctance to talk. Maybe Asuln liked the black-garbed guy for a good reason.

_No, I can't be too optimistic_, Piquan resolved._ I've had enough of Tonpa's and friendly 'friends' who only care to use you. Asuln can't judge all of a person's character; all I know is that he has no intentions to physically hurt me. If he's truly a good guy, then it'll come out with time._

"Wooah-!" He'd misplaced his foot, almost slipping off the branch before Piquan had reached out her hand; sheepish but untainted gratefulness reflected back as she hoisted him up, to the two birds' amusement and Asuln's patient waiting.

She sighed through her nose. _Then again, his movements show he _doesn't_ have any training whatsoever. _"Would it be easier on the ground for you?" she impatiently asked.

"…'course it would, but then I'd have to deal with some man-eating bugs that even you would have problems with," came the sarcastic answer. Piquan inwardly puffed, then directed both her nen-sense and sight downwards.

…Cieran was right; they'd moved back into the army-ants territory. And potential human-sized signatures were hiding up ahead nearby, ambushers by the way they hid behind concealing veils of vines, who hoped to steal prey that wasn't rightfully theirs.

"You see something?" he asked, reading alertness from her face.

"Yes." _Three, four, maybe five, and more the closer to the meeting-place. Fighting them would be easy…_except she didn't want to reveal any more use of nen, not more than already revealed. Asuln could help, but those birds weren't as intelligent as a spirit-beast, and couldn't risk being injured anyhow. "There are some ambushers on the way back, besides those ants on the surface-level."

"So all we have to do is protect these birds while avoiding the ground." Cieran hefted his staff. "Don't worry about me, I can keep my own," he glanced betrayingly at his stained and fraying exercise-shoes, then her comparatively clean and better-fitting leather-boots"-well, if I don't run at your full-speed."

Piquan paused to consider him. _His thumb's improperly placed, but besides that… his staff-form's close to a warriors. _And only a few blinks, when she unslung her bow at a speed that would have made it instantly appear in her arms, his eyes steeling to determination at her own. "You want to pass, don't you? Let's go," he said, face resolving itself to battle as he leapt ahead, the other bird following before Piquan could protest.

Asuln glanced at her with a questioning _cheep?_ Piquan sighed again, before nodded and pointing at Cieran and the two birds. _"Protect and follow them,"_ she instructed, before her bird arrowed away.

She followed, gathering blunted arrows in hand.

No matter what, they _would_ pass this phase. She'd make sure of it.

ooooooooooooooooo

* * *

At the phase's starting ground, signs of a recent chaos smoldered. In the blackened ashes, flames licking at rope, tents, and bodies littered with playing-cards in puddles of old-blood, with no sign of either the proctor; the other examinees uncertainly milling about with their caged animals uneasy with the lingering scent of death.

Asuln alighted on her shoulder as she freed yet another abandoned panicked animal from its cage; Cieran nearby stomping out the remains of fire with wetted sacking. "Did you find who did this?"

A nod, and tail feathers pointing in one direction. But Asuln's plumage was fully bristled out – _fear, caution, wariness, danger_ – with widened eyes as his body heaved with exertion.

Piquan released the last caged animal. Stood up, and turned all the arrowheads in her quiver to full sharpness; half of them into broad-points to catch and stay rooted in the flesh of their targets, with the other half slim points to travel with unerring speed and reach farther distances. Unslung her bow, and affixed arrowheads to the tips of its' limbs, some nen renewing them into curved knife-blades to allow for close combat.

She looked back. Cieran hadn't noticed, engaged as he was in his task. All for the better, since he wouldn't be able to stand against the culprit. The nen imbued in the playing cards oozed with Hisoka's signature; it was likely he'd been the one to start the fire and killed the examinees who'd arrived earlier. And who knew where the proctor was. The scattered survivors said he'd come and been challenged by Hisoka, the both of them moving away from the scene of devastation.

Piquan steeled her nerves. _If I don't see what's happened, I won't know whether Hisoka or the proctor won. If Hisoka won…_ they were all doomed. She'd seen him, sensed his bloodlust, and she didn't care to again. _If he's won, I'll have to warn Cieran and the others, _she resolved as she took to the trees.

Run, hide; that was the best plan. She couldn't muster the confidence to plan for the other possibility, besides give a slim desperate hope that it had happened. The proctor's nen signature had been strong enough, yes, but Hisoka's had far outstripped his in malice and crazed bloodlust, besides its' crushing pressure when unleashed in his killing-frenzy.

Asuln's presence above was a small speck of comfort against the looming tide of clashing energies. _If Hisoka notices me and attacks, there won't be time to hide my nen like last time, _Piquan realized. There wasn't any hills or mountains nearby to hide behind, there was no way around it.

_If _she was discovered. _And even if I don't intend to be, I'll have to use it to escape. That might not be enough; Asuln would have to too, if I was to stand a chance against that insane nen-_

The feel of nen was joined by hearing, in a steel-like clash of sound, with the buzzing feel Piquan'd learned to associate with weapons enhanced by nen; different nens snarling and struggling against each other.

Well. One nen blazed with fury. The other… more like smug playfulness, like a cat batting at a chained dog, as it ducked in and out from hot-wrath-

_"Raaah!"_ A fierce battle-cry as the curved steel of the billhook-knife slashed towards Hisoka with emptied hands in the card-littered clearing-

A spray of blood gushed into the air with a scream.

_Oh... proctor Togari's not a dog to Hisoka, he's a _mouse_. _A mouse that the cat had decided to kill, boredom stark on the clown's painted white face even as Togari howled around a scarred face and slash-blinded eyes. Pale long-nailed hands nonchalantly picked up a fallen card as yellow eyes inspected it and found it passable, Hisoka mouthing soundless words to the struggling Hunter as the playing card swung towards his exposed neck-

For it to be shot down by an arrow, one that quivered in the tree it'd pierced the card to, with a familiar sunlight-gold glow of nen. Hers. Piquan stared at her hands, clenched as they were around her bow, her arms drawn back in shooting position. _… I did that, didn't I._

Hisoka was staring at her position from where he'd jumped aside – proctor screaming obscene curses from where he'd been tossed aside – with the hunger and glee she'd seen before dawning on his face in with an unholy pleased realization. _And he definitely knows now too._

From the cold burning wind on her shoulder, Asuln knew he knew, defensively swelling with nen as he was against crushing hunger.

Piquan let her nen join Asuln's in defense and stood, drawing several arrows into her hand. _He's too _close_; there's no way of avoiding battle-_

Hisoka pitched his voice, clearly aiming for her ears. "You've interrupted my meal." A tongue swiped across his lips, the motion making her shudder uncontrollably-

And lunged into motion, as she leapt back, Asuln taking to the air with a fierce cry.

_Just have to keep this battle moving, avoid being pinned down, and keep him at a distance so I can retreat while shooting-_

Clawed hands sliced through skin, a maniac grin filling her vision.

oooooooooooooooo

* * *

_God, take your eyes off 'em for one second and the next thing you know…_ Cieran vainly searched for copper-red hair or pale-blue, through trees younger compared to the ones in the rainforest but still old enough to climb through if he felt inclined. He'd done so, but to no luck, calling out both on level ground or in the trees.

He couldn't let a kid wander around without some help. More so, since she was a girl – probably, Cieran knew enough about guys looking like girls to be careful judging, but this one did have a noticeable chest under her short-poncho when he'd checked; small, but still there – and just about Ainya's age, who was turning fourteen this year.

But where Ainya was strong-willed in character but had to be protected, this redhead was probably stronger than him when it came to fighting, with a presence that'd cowed those half-man sized birds without a single physical blow. She didn't _need_ his help with whatever she was doing away from the clearing.

Nope, probably not. Didn't mean that he couldn't check to make sure; Ainya could tease him about his 'chivalry' all she liked, he still couldn't stand to let any kids get hurt, or the girls who didn't deserve it.

_Hm…I thought I was imagining it, but it almost feels like there's…_ something _out here_.

Something dangerous, almost like the bad feeling he got when some of Paulie's new punks tried bringing guns to ambush him; he'd got out of that scrap mostly untouched – only needed a few stitches from Mum when he usually didn't even have a scratch – with those goons wishing they'd never crossed him, but he'd narrowly missed having his brains blown out if it weren't for his advanced instincts years of fighting had grown.

Except this feeling was worse by a thousand-times, not the slight _be cautious and ready to fight_, but _Run. Away. _Now. He had to fight his instincts – something he'd never done before – to just stand there in place without bolting like a rat exposed to danger. _Nothing _looks_ wrong, there isn't any blood or signs of violence, and I can't see any threat, but I can barely _swallow_-_

It just felt like there _was_, and everything else knew; it was unnaturally quiet, where insects had _always _droned in on in the background ever since they'd been dropped on this island. Except… this threat wasn't aimed at him, once enough time passed for his mind to become numbed to the desire of _Threat, run away_. Not like the previous times he'd had a similar feeling where he'd shortly been attacked-

_"Screech!"_

That surety let him start moving again, slower than before and slowing with every step taken, but still letting him. _That sounded like a bird, and not far from here; not sure if that was that girl's blue-bird or not, but she could be in trouble-_

His limbs locked into place, before instinct automatically had him dodging with bent back and knees; Cieran only registered it halfway mid-roll with the smell of damp-leaves grew stronger in his nose; ground inches from his face _Wha-_

_Wham._

The world was full of stars and bursting static. Couldn't breathe, couldn't think, he was nothing but pure _hurt, _nothing else existed but hurt; _God, _he wanted it to stop, to _end, _just let him _die_ already-

A wave of agony in his chest, as some fragments of something that had been jabbing his lungs suddenly weren't, what felt like water drawing out of them and out of his mouth. The wave passed, stranding him on a shore of awareness and overwhelming senses that took time to interpret.

"-eran! Cieran! Can you hear me? Listen to me, you have to do what I say-" _Ainya? What's Ainya doing- No, that's not her, she never yells-_

_"Cieran!"_ The cry shook his bones, within his flesh, forcing him to open his eyes so he could yell back at not-Ainya to let him sleep, he was so tired-

Wide eyes the dark-green of fresh tea-leaves stared back, black stripes underneath them reflecting rainbow-lights, if that was the craziest thing he'd ever seen- "Cieran. Listen to me." A jolting shake and the feeling of warm-water-that-wasn't traveling in-and-out his body him made him squint in displeasure, pale-pink lips quirked upward at the corner before continuing, "right now, you're losing something essential, something as crucial as air to your wellbeing. I'm going to need you to follow my instructions, okay?"

He coughed, though nothing felt like it was in his throat. "-If I do, will you stop moving that annoying water through me?" Cieran croaked.

"_It's _not _water_\- Fine. So long as you do as I say. I promise you'll feel better afterwards."

"…Fine." _Oh, it's that redhead without a name. Who knew she'd be bossy as Ainya. As long as she leaves me alone after, I'll humor her annoyingness, that always works with Ainy- _"Okay," she continued. "I'm going to let something from you go without restriction; it'll feel bad, but be sure to pay attention."

"What do you m- _Agh!_" It was as if his blood spilled away from him, but eagerly into the air as the ground, like bleeding in every direction without a single cut from his skin. "Stop it-!"

The feeling stopped, as a near-boiling warm water and a cold one gathered his blood – no, his not-water – back into him. But not completely though. It was slow, but some of his not-water was seeping out through the other waters—the ones that felt more like the sunlight from a summer day at noon, and the other like the chilly wind from an airship's opened window—uncomfortable, but tolerable once he got used to it-

"-Cieran, when I release it, gather up your water back into your body by yourself."

"What? How am I supposed to do that? I don't have a bucket-" _Jeez, at least make the request possible-_

"There's other ways to move water; water moves by itself in other ways. Just let your mind provide whatever imagination you need to do it by yourself; picture whatever comes first when you think of your water and how to bring it back inside you, and _do _it."

Cieran let his protest subside at the note of urgency. _Picture what comes to mind…._

_Water. A faucet? No, that's got pipes and plumbing I don't understand that well…._

_The ocean. _One happy brief summer that was hazy at best in his memory. But the salt-tang of the ocean, digging up clams, the days when his whole family had been happy and alive, untainted by gambling or the knowledge of other concerns…

Focus. He could examine that pearl of happiness later when he was going to sleep. Back to water. The ocean. How it swelled and ebbed to make frothing waves that were never the same. How it completely covered the pier and lapped at the wall during the night, but at early morning right before sunrise drew back all the way to the sunken ship.

Cieran breathed. Let that image fill his mind, his water a sea inside him. Imagined the crisp saltiness of morning-sea air. Since it was morn, the sea should be ebbing down to its lowest levels, right inside his body.

But if the image came easy, willing the sea wasn't. The sea belonged inside him, yes, but it was a sea, and tugged like it too. What felt like hours passed as he worked to draw it in.

Then it was finished, though it reluctantly stayed put and required him to pay attention, as much as constantly tensing his muscles to lessen a blow would, except all the time, bigger precious sprays of it washing into the air, whenever he relaxed too much.

Cieran opened his eyes to the smell of cooking fish, and found the blue-bird sitting on his chest. "Cheep!" it chirped while flying off when he unsteadily moved his torso up, staring at himself to see clear colorless water floating around his whole body.

He leveled his gaze on a leaf-green one, that expressionlessly stared back with furrowed brow accented by brown eyebrows, copper-red hair and now-plain black outer-corner-eye-markings exposed by the lowered green hood.

Broke the awkward fire-crackling filled silence beginning to descend, when the blue-bird moved to gobble up a skewer of cooked fish.

_I'm really hungry, too. But first-_ "Thanks for saving me… again." Cieran started "Don't get me wrong, what you did helped me get through this a lot. But since I'm… like this now," he paused to look at the blue-bird again—a blue-water was swelling around it as it devoured fish-meat more than four times its size – _where the does it go?_ –, then to the clear-water surrounding him, and continued, complete seriousness in his tone.

"Please _explain _what you did… or let happen to me."

He hadn't asked questions earlier, knew some secrets were better hidden off, that sometimes people needed to keep them. But now he was like this, he didn't know if he could even _try_ to pass this phase, much less the whole Exam. His chances were at risk. He needed to _know_.

The redheaded archer heaved a sigh, putting down the archery-bow she'd been stringing. "I know. First, my name is Piquan… _Biyahero_. Second, you can't tell _anyone _what you just experienced and what I'll be telling to you, no exceptions… except for the people I say you can. If you agree, then I promise to tell you everything I can. If not, I'll… help you survive, but no more than that," she raised a hand to stifle his protest. "Don't. If you refuse, I won't do anything to you, but you'll probably die soon without my help."

"… Will agreeing harm any of my family or friends?"

"No. You're more likely to harm them yourself than me," Cieran stiffened, "if you don't accept my demand and the help."

He mulled the words. "…Can I return to how I was before what happen-"

"No." The tone cut with finality. "You can only move forward now; it's up to you whether you use what you have wisely or not."

Cieran breathed out, glancing at the exposed sky and the sun. Only around one hour had passed since he'd gone in search of Piquan. And one hour later, faced with such a life-changing decision…

"Fine." He held out his hand. "I won't tell anyone else, in exchange for your help."

Piquan hesitantly took it with, an awkward motion unlike her usual graceful movements, blinking as he shook it. "Okaayy…"

Then the redhead blinked, motions back with assurance as he withdrew his hand. _Seems like she's never seen a handshake before. Wonder if she's foreign-_

"Now I'm your sensei, your teacher," was declared. "And since you agreed, you have to do _everything _I say."

"…_What?!"_

_ooooooooooooo_

* * *

Translations and Additional Info

Aine/Anya – "brilliance, radiance, splendor" (Irish)

Cieran/Kieran – "dark", "dark one" (Irish)

Biyahero – traveler, voyager, passenger, or traveling merchant (Filipino).


	6. A History

_Five years ago_

Stories. At the beginning, they were the only things she had, besides her bird and teacher. Unlike the two, she _knew_ they were hers, in the way she won them through her own efforts. Not like how she woke up knowing Asuln was her's or why _Guro_ did what he did for them, without knowing the reason _why._

Words. Stories. Scrolls and books and single papers. Words she first stumblingly read from paper, 'til they read smoother, like someone speaking to her through the paper. She had so many questions, and unlike the trainees or villagers, they had infinite patience. Nuggets of information adding to what she knew.

_White is the color of death, the never-ending sleep. _

_People with white skin – they once had totems, as many of the Evitan do. They too were once under the protection of the Great Spirits. But a man offered up his totem, severed his soul and killing part of himself to obtain great power. Instead of dying, his skin was leached of color and turned white as the freezing snows. Driven mad by his self-inflicted injury, the man forgot himself, his family, his Tribe, his people, as he lost his connection to the Great Spirits. And he was the first Pale-face._

The people at the Temple and village called her "_Aswang_" or "_Maputlang-barat_". Pale-skin and Ghost, said _Guro_ with resigned sadness. They were never outright cruel, like the people who weren't Evitan could be to each other in the cities, just… distant.

Scared – as the little children often were – or polite, or scornful, they never refused her anything. Food and clothing, freely given; weaponry, armor, and other tools she would ask for and receive within a week.

So if she never had a naming-day celebration in the village nor Temple, when everyone else and their spirit-beast would receive mountains of well-wishes and presents… that was fine. The name-day her friends gave for her was enough.

_The Great Spirits are also known as the Six, and together they created the world. First came Lumikha, the Creator, who shaped the other Five into being. Mandirigma, the Warrior, strong in body and determination, whose body is unrivalled in strength. Arkero_, _the Archer, strong in sight and aim, for whom no distance is too great. Tawagano, the sorcerer, strong in mind and vision, who can summon and dispel any spirit of her creation. Manbagya, the shapechanger, strong in wiles and persuasion, who can imitate or transform into any of creation. _

_Hepe, the Chieftan, strong in persuasion and command, who all of creation heeds and obeys. _

She'd gingerly lowered herself into a dug bath, under the shade of trees and caressing breezes. Eased into meditation to the sounds of the forest and drop of leaf-fall, Asuln bobbing like a sleeping duckling in steamy warmth. An hour later when the sand in the sandglass stopped whispering, she opened her eyes. Gold and green and feathered blue spun like pinwheels on the water. She belonged to _Hepe_, a manipulator-class.

_Six Great Spirits created the Earth. And four elements made up the Earth before all other life. All living things made of Earth arise from these elements, and shall return the Earth as so.  
Those whose power is closest to Hepe's must first learn to feel the elements in their existing form. Only then can they begin to exert their will. _

When _Guro_ first trained her, he gave her a choice. There was hatsu, choosing a ability uniquely created by her to reflect her innermost desires, goals, or personality. And the traditional Evitan techniques, that all Masters learned the basics of before choosing to specialize further.

At first, she didn't know enough about herself. Didn't have any strong desires or goals, beyond overcoming _Guro_'s daily training. So she chose to learn the traditional Evitan techniques. To feel her surroundings with nen instead of just physical senses. To control her nen with or without Asuln's help. To hide her presence or seek others'. Although she couldn't directly understand Asuln, to talk to birds and bird-like creatures through him. And as a follower of _Hepe, _to influence – somewhat, she wasn't a seasoned Master – one of the elements at a time.

It took years to become adequate, three to be exact. Water bloomed into ice crystals hard enough to walk on. Packed earth opened into slim escape holes, sand and clay molding more easily into more intricate forms.

Fire… maybe later. Her fingers didn't anticipate the burns from trying to hold fire again.

Air was the easiest. Maybe because of Asuln. Maybe because of her uncanny skill with the bow—both were commonly found with the highest affinity for air among the Evitan. And even if other air-affinitied Masters were rare – she only knew three, who all regularly traveled away from the Temple and village – they were always nice to meet. More… relaxed, like _Guro_, voices' warmer than the others' chillness... and more likely to offer advice in wind-techniques where _Guro_ could not.

Advice that eventually allowed her to part the air to allow for swifter movement, for Asuln to add his strength for wind-laced arrows to push and pierce.

_Yet though the Pale-face forgot the Great Spirits, the Great Spirits did not forget them. They were still a part of creation, and still their children. So the Great Spirits came down to Earth and taught both the Pale-face and the Evitan. So even if the Pale-face who had no totems could no longer talk with the animals, they could protect themselves with powers passed on to them from the Spirits._

… After those three years, she knew what she wanted. What her hatsu should be.

If knowledge is power, history is knowledge. Knowing history gives power. The power to reclaim a piece of the past. To heal, to fix, make whole or break again.

(To find what she had lost... even if she didn't have enough power for that yet.)

_As a soul has power, there is power in the things it attaches to in the physical world. In a name it is called by. In the body it inhabits. A seed or fruit to call upon the tree. A lock of hair or their favorite clothes to call to a loved one. _

_But there are those greedy for power. Who think nothing of taking more than they need, and care not for the misery they bring. Who would think nothing of stealing other's souls. Those who would make artifacts of ancient power, bloodstained and ill-gotten from the slaughter of our people. _

_While we have destroyed the secrets of making these artifacts, those who seek our power and possessions remain. So while our cherished totems protect us, we must also protect them in turn. For they are a piece of our soul, and feel ourselves as we feel them. _

She was _bawal._ Taboo. Cursed with another soul's grudge for grave sins; couldn't be anything else, with a spirit-beast bonded to her while she was not bonded to him…

… or so_ they_ said.

She hated how _Guro_ hadn't told her earlier. Hated how she couldn't become a Master. Hated how they looked down on her bond with Asuln, as if he were divine punishment instead of hers.

What they said didn't matter. He was hers. She was his.

(Even if she couldn't tell if what they said was true or false.)

So even as she smiled with Kyler and Lalnene after they came to the Temple, she knew she couldn't stay. Not in the village who would never accept her. And even if her friends would welcome her into their own homes….

She needed to stand on her own. To prove she was as good as any Master, even if she could never be one.

_Birds are among the creatures closest to the element of air. Some may also swim, or be bound to the land unlike their flying brethren. But all bird totems among the Evitan are graced with the freedom of air. _

_And all grown birds must wander._

* * *

Many references made in this chapter are repeated throughout my story. Their particular ideas don't belong to me

His Dark Materials: daemons  
Bible  
Native American mythology  
Hinduism  
Greek classification  
Avatar basis of Chinese elements

Translations-

_Guro_ – Teacher, master.

Other words adapted from Filipino language.

nen – energy, life-force, chakra, mana, chi.

Master – shortened term for Beast-Master.


	7. Debt and Death

_Three months after the Exam. _

_He was there, back in the rainforest. Dread weighed his steps, as he searched for copper-red or blue- _

_-and nearly stepped on her hand. "What are you doing here?-"Cieran urgently whispered to the redhead... Piquan. Somehow, he knew her name. _Wait, she never told me her name,_ but relief pressed the thought aside. "-Never mind. You need to get out of here-"_

_"Sshh!" Piquan's hand made towards his mouth as if to choke the noise from him, faltering before it could touch. "Why did you follow me?!" she hissed at a barely audible level, brow scrunching as if in disbelieving pain. _

_Damn. Pain which _was_ real; patches of damp wet on green cloth and brown leather told of the tang of blood. Clean neat slices, as though someone had taken a deliberate knife to them. _

_Bandages already brought from his jacket pocket, he made to wrap them around a dripping head-cut-_

_Before the redhead ducking away from him brought him back from the unthinking motions of habit. _Oh right_._ She's not his sister; not much reason for her to really trust me.

_A shove to his chest, force surprisingly heavy for her size, as dark-green eyes lingered on the bandages outstretched in his hand. "Leave me alone Cieran." Moving from crouch to stand, her back was dismissive. "You will only get in the way."_

_Cieran opened his mouth to reply-_

_Several white blurs thudded into him. He couldn't feel anything like pain, but is body refused to respond… _

_Trees overhead, his body flat on the ground. Lifting his head, he propped his eyes open. Of all the things possible, there were… suit-cards on him. _

_In him. In his chest. In his throat. _

_Someone yelled. A scream. A screech. Flashes of colors, in between heavy darkness. _

_Piquan's face. A burning warmth, clutching back at the hand he could barely lift to calm horrified desperate eyes-_

_Sinking into darkness. Before something _jerked_, and he burned back into wakefulness-_

With a gasp, Cieran woke to the present. His face almost hit grass, before hands insistent and a curl of feathers brushing against his bare back grounded him to the here-and-now.

_Did that really happen to _me_?_ That meditation was unreal; it felt like all of that had just happened one second ago. Impossible… no.

Even if he and Piquan had passed the Exam – with an ease he'd have thought impossible just months ago, Piquan had been stronger than anyone other contestant once that clown-guy had been kicked out – that was the least amazing thing to have happened.

_Magic's real, and I've got it,_ realized the newly-minted Hunter._ Or a something close enough._ Close enough to the legends, as there were rules he'd yet to learn, and reasons. Like how his fellow Hunter could help him sort-of-relive what must have been his memories of his amnesia during the Exam with her powers.

Cieran cleared his healthy – and not-bleeding-out, keeping that in mind helped ground him – throat. "Piquan. What _was _that_?_"

"…Maintain your ten." A nudge of sun-lit warmth; he drew up his lapsed nen as the redhead removed her hands to scoot in front of him. Asuln kept up a cat-like purr Cieran's shoulder like the weird-but-comforting heater he could be.

"Okay." Black under-eye markings shifted with scrunched eyes, then settled into a practiced study of calm as the fellow new-Hunter clasped her hands. "Tell me what you saw."

"I was _there._" Cieran began, searching for what he'd just saw. Words couldn't quite capture it, but... "-at least I think that was me. I was looking for you during the third phase. Then I found you. You were being your usual shy self-" Piquan cracked an eye open to glare; he smirked, before the gravity of the memory hit him.

"-The clown killed me-" _If that really was from my memory like Piquan said she'd help me remember, I should have died-_

"-No!" Dark-green snapped open, the hand stamping the grass with denial taking him aback. "You were _not_." Then the fiery redhead drew back, shoulders hunching in as Asuln flew to nestle himself against her.

"Piquan," Cieran placed his hand on her shoulder, "it's fine." _Definitely an issue there. If she doesn't feel like sharing, it's not my business… except whatever it is _is_ hurting her. _"-don't worry. I'm here right? No matter what happened back then, I'm alive right now."

"…Of course you are." With a breath Piquan straightened, smoothing over the outburst as if it had never happened. "After you were… injured, examiner Mokkinuta came to where we were, and stopped Hisoka." A grimacing shudder and tight lips at the clown's name told of fear, and disgust, for the guy. "She expelled him from the Exam for attacking examiner Togari." _Only then, when he'd already killed _went unsaid; she'd been appalled how the examiners could care less about anyone besides their own.

"But you were dying. Examiner Mokkinuta said it wasn't worth bringing you to a healer." The annoyed frown slid into a sigh. "But since examiner Togari was too injured, the other examiners needed time to set up a new phase. It would take until the next morning… or so examiner Mokkinuta said." Her brow furrowed in thought, trailing off into a hushed mutter half to herself. "Was she giving us time? She _did _let us stay away from the others until it was time-"

Asuln pecked her head, and Piquan blinked, returning to the story. "Oh yeah. So I healed you. Everything else is as you recall when you woke."

"…So that's it, huh? You big softie!" Coarse-yet-clean red parted under his hand next to the feather-ball, before the kid shoved his ruffling-pat away with an protesting scowl. Three months together had loosened up the kid so that she wasn't so stiff around him all the time.

And let him learn to catch the nuances in her tone. _She's still upset at something I said before. Yet she's still willing to be share more._

_Well, then here goes. _"Hey. Why me?" he asked. At the two head-tilts – kind of cute-in-a-creepy way how the bird tried to copy Piquan sometimes –, he went on. "'Course I appreciate you doing so since you saved my hide and all, but why'd you use your powers—er, nen to heal me?" _I know you'd help complete strangers out—I've seen it the past months. Yet you couldn't during the Exam, since you couldn't save everyone and continue hiding yourself. You said you used them for that examiner, so that Hisoka couldn't go around killing everyone. _

_Yet you used them for me, a much weaker guy. You said I was your responsibility. Why?- _

"-Because you're an _idiot_." The knuckle-rap against his forehead caught him by surprise, since the kid never started any body-contact outside of training.

"-hey, watch it!" The black-haired older teen protested, "that hurt! You've got armored gloves, remember?" He could swear he felt a bump on his head growing already. _Man, she's never treated me like I was older than her_ Cieran inwardly complained_, even if she _is_ my teacher. _

"And you deserved it." Piquan lifted her chin as Asuln sternly wagged his tails in front of Cieran's face. "You knew something was wrong, yet you continued your… search. _Ignored _your instincts and walked into danger." Crossed arms reflected her equally cross disapproval. "You can't ignore good instincts."

"I knew what I was doing." He sighed at the skeptical look he got, rolling his shoulders in a shrug. "Man, look, how do I put this…

"I knew I was going into danger. But then, so were you. Following after Hisoka?" Cieran shook his head. "Not better than me, you know." The older teen cut off the younger's protest. "-Yeah, I remember what you told me. You had to stop Hisoka from killing Togari or else he would have been free to murder everyone. But even if you were relying on your nen to escape, I know what I saw." _Those cuts should have had you bleeding out. Even if weren't, fact remains you still had them. And I'm pretty sure you knew you were outclassed. _

_Yet you went in there anyway. _

"So yes. Sometimes you have to ignore your instincts. Some things you can't run away from. They'll follow you no matter where you go." _Ainya. _Involuntarily, his fists clenched. _I'm coming back for you. I promised. _

_Cheep._ He looked up to dark-green and beady-black thoughtfully eyeing him. "…Alright. You can return to your home," Piquan abruptly said.

"What? Really?" _You said I couldn't go leave you 'til I could control my nen. So why now?_

"I know you want to return to your little sister," the shorter girl said, reaching for dry wood and tossing his balled-up clothes to pull on, "-and while your ten could still improve… you've mastered it enough. For now." The campfire stirred under her hands as she poked it into life, Asuln flying off into the woods at the first flame-flickers "But you still need to continue your training. So. Tell me how we're going to go to your home."

"Wait, no, you can't _come_ with me," he spluttered. _No way you know what to do in _that_ part of the city. _But cut himself off at the flash of hurt covered by an expressionless mask.

"Too bad. I'm still your Master in nen, so I choose when your training ends. And you _definitely_ are still too _weak _to pass," she said, back turning away, not facing him. Like when she'd turned him away in his recently-recovered memory...

The older teen bristled at the insult, before remembering that look of hurt. _She's hurt; thinks I don't trust her, _he realized. And sighed. "Piquan. Look. I didn't mean it that way. I'd love for you to meet my sister. It's just that…"

_Should I tell her? She's just a kid. She shouldn't be messing with this type of stuff._

_…Oh, who am I kidding? Even Piquan hates killing people, she helped me _pass_ the _Hunter's Exam_. She's seen decent fighters killed, and even held off that Hisoka guy long enough for the examiners to get there. _Stronger than Cieran. An advantage, if things got ugly.

And even if he got the money, there was no telling if the _Deartháir_s would let him and Ainya walk away quietly. Not when they'd been so interested in them.

Then he was busy, making sure he stayed alive so he could rescue Ainya. Then making sure the kid new to the exam – and her pet, she never went _anywhere_ without him – stayed out of trouble.

Maybe she'd never told him about where she'd come from despite him sharing, but she never seemed to lie about anything she _did_ say.

For Ainya's sake, that was enough.

"There's trouble back home," Cieran interrupted into the otherwise sullen silence. "My sister who's also got red hair? She was taken hostage when I went to start the Exam prelims." Combing fingers back through his hair back helped manage the pit of frustration and anger he'd unearthed; better than loosing curses in front of his younger teacher. "My father. Even if he was never around, apparently the gangs tracked down where we lived.

"And even if he's dead, they say he had debts to pay off. Debts that me and my _sister_ have to pay off." He had to remind himself to loosen his jaw, lest the teeth-grinding rage ruin his voice. _Pay their debt, after they've taken blood. As if… but Ainya's still with them. _"So I gotta' go back to pay off those debts. Apparently the debt's so big they say the only way they'll settle the debt – and let us go – is if I work for them."

_I'm a Hunter now. And I can get that free-loan for my license if I can't earn any money any other way yet. I'm getting nen-training. More power and money than I would have months ago. I can't let that go to waste. _

"So I need to make money to pay off the debts. Before the _Deartháir_s get tired of waiting and… try to make my sister pay for it." _Those desperate gambler scum that sell out their daughters and wives to the casinos… I don't want Ainya to end up like that._ He looked to Piquan, keeping his voice level to keep desperation out. "Can you help me get a job with enough pay?"

What he expected was maybe a pitying yes. At worst, a rejection. After all, he'd only known her for a few months, even if she teaching him nen.

Instead, he found resolution. An unwavering promise, without any hesitation.

"Of course. I know a place where they pay for you to fight. You can train and earn enough money to pay for expensive things at the same time." A nod, dark-green eyes already gazing away at forming-plans. "And if I fight too, there will be double the money. If need calls, there are… ways I can obtain money. Do not worry about the money.

"All you will have to do is focus on training. Then after we have enough, we'll go get your sister back." Dark-green sharpened on him. "I will push you harder than before, so that you get stronger."

Cieran's throat thickenedn as he swallowed. More from apprehension of the training, or gratefulness for the support, he couldn't say. "Thanks Piquan." _I don't think I can repay her. First with the Exam and my life, and now this? _

_All I know is that I _can _be there for her when she does needs help. As a friend. _

And despite the weeks of pure _torture_ – all part of his "training", but Cieran was pretty sure normal training _didn't _involve pushups on poles over a roaring fire and stinging smoke – his opinion wouldn't change.

Even if his younger teacher learned some new not-so-decent words from him in turn, whenever the pain got too much to bear.

* * *

_Five months after the Exam. _

An ocean city, wooden boardwalks raising the stores off sand. Both gulls and men in serious looking suits patrolled the walk amidst strolling lightly-dressed families and gaudy entertainers. Salted sea-side breezes cooling off the clear afternoon yet only relieving the overwhelming smell of pipe-weed somewhat.

_Hmm… Kyler and Lotra would have liked all the water here, at least. _The crowds and resulting lack of prey, not so much, but the ocean was fascinatingly different from any of the largest lakes she and Asuln had visited.

It had been a feast for Asuln. Would still be, with him scaring off his competition from the stray pieces of perfectly-good-but-discard food within reassuringly sensible distance of her… if it wasn't for the current situation, of course.

Sucking the dregs of her iced tea and looking to order another drink from the waiter of the small café she was at, Piquan kept a calm face, thinking back as she looked out across the beachfront, drumming fingers and tapping a foot in forced idleness.

_We've finally done it. _After two months of training – fighting and earning money in the Heaven's Arena – Cieran had said they'd gathered enough funds to pay off the debt and rescue his sister. So they'd left Celestial City.

_I think I've trained my first student adequately, despite all the complaining. You'd think he could have learned to train more quietly; it's going to take much longer before he can learn zetsu. And _she hadn't complained as half as much as Cieran did the first few weeks the whole time _Guro _trained her.

Then again, Piquan hadn't been sure on how to go training him. She was of _Hepe _while Cieran was of _Mandirigma, _the warrior class; everything she'd been taught had been geared for manipulators, not enhancers. So she'd just gone with everything, and pushed him to his limits in every field possible. So maybe he had the right to complain.

Good teaching or not, he'd definitely gotten better, his nen enhancing already honed-reflexes and impromptu pole-fighting style to a decent nen-trainee's level.

And although he'd yet to complete his training, Cieran had come far from that ill-prepared yet kind-hearted stranger. They were not as close as she'd been – and could still be, she just needed to visit and introduce them to cellphones – with Kyler and Lalnene, but Piquan felt like she could trust Cieran. _Even if he's so bull-headed when it comes to protecting children or girls; as if I was some helpless toddling to look after. _

But despite how they met, living together in the master-and-student had let them get to know each other. To help each other.

The call had come in the middle of the night. The tinny-sound of some girl singing to headachy tunes had roused her from sleep. Asuln had _not_ been happy, a mumbling-growl building in his throat.

But halfway into his puffball of scold, Asuln had pulled short, and Piquan hadn't needed to see why.

Nen steady as a pre-storm calm, Cieran's eyes deadly serious, as he'd listened to the far-off speaker on his electronic tool.

Seconds later, Cieran had closed his cell-phone, relief and apprehension warring on his face.

_"They agreed. They'll clear the debt… but only on one condition._

_That I meet with 'em first."_

And here she was, above and across the street from a dark-windowed pub built into the first level of one of the few three-level buildings in the area. Watching as the man at the same table as Cieran – grey haired and steely-eyed underneath the cocked hat, crisp suit, and seemingly friendly-but-cold smile – acted like a caring grandfather with the hand he'd placed on the black-haired teen's reluctant shoulder.

_Like an elder would for their younger clansmen, adding insult without injury with how his Dearthairs used Cieran's sister as a threat. As if he doesn't even _know_ those broad-shouldered men in sunglasses nearby with suspicious bulges tucked within their clothes_.

But by the way he held his tail-feathers and nen still, Asuln knew, perched as he was on her friend's shoulder with unfolded wings and parted beak ready to bring a gale in any moment.

_Clink. _"Here you are miss," the waiter said, drawing the young girl's attention back before her with his artful drizzle of cream, before inserting the slender spoon into her frothy iced fruit drink. While Cieran had needed the rest of the money, there was still enough left, and the highest building with the best view of the pub had been this café—coincidentally known as the best place for sweets in the area. _It would be rude not to order anything while sitting at a place meant for dining. _

And if she'd already ordered three different drinks in the ten minutes since the man had met Cieran… well, the energy would be needed if anything went wrong.

"Thank you-" she politely said. Aiming the drinking-straw towards her mouth, she paused, eyes widening as a diner at one of the café's particular tables drew her attention.

_…Huh. That's a lot_ _of dishes for one guy._

Granted, she'd seen Asuln eat more in relation to his body size. Not often, and only when he'd been pushing his considerably high limits. But still. He didn't look like he'd been near-starvation, not if he could afford to eat here. _Only people with really-high metabolisms need to eat that much. _She stretched for a better look, curiosity piqued.

Stacked empty plates lay on the small single-table across from hers. On the adjacent table, a shock of white-hair steadily made it's way through the rest with one hand propping it up against the table.

As for the diner; milk-white skin—unusual among the sea of skins here tanning from unblocked sun. The low aura of an Unawakened, yet with the steady pulse of an expert martial artist, the devoured food speaking to a fast metabolism of a physically-demanding lifestyle, with simple yet stylishly baggy clothes allowing for unimpeded movement. Overall, the look of a boy younger than her about two or three years.

And an icy glare, from eyes the blue of unyieldingly harsh mountain-lakes.

Piquan bristled immediately, with a glare of her own. Then remembered she'd been the one staring _first_, and embarrassedly ducked her head. _No one appreciates stares from strangers, I know. He's got a right to be offended, not me. _

A furtive glance. Yes, the suspicious glare remained, around two cheeks stuffed and chewing, smeared with chocolate frosting.

"Pff." She snorted a little at that, before turning her head as a flash of paper caught her eye.

Nothing, besides the _Dearthair-_man pushing papers and a pen towards Cieran. Who accepted them without hesitation – that made Piquan cringe, _I really need to teach Cieran to use gyo more often_ – before Asuln landing on them and her own _gyo _reassured her.

No maliciousness in either items, beyond whatever conditions they spelled out that Cieran had just agreed to _without_ consulting her or looking at the rest of the paper himself.

_So _careless! _It's his family, he _needs_ to have more caution- _A slow breath, to 'calm the mind and bring clarity of thought'. _Calm settles the water so you may _always _see deeper, no matter the level of your sight. _

Piquan breathed in, reigning in her loosed nen. _Cieran knows what he's doing. We talked about it earlier, so he must have had his reasons._

…Not good. Milk-white boy's stare had changed. There was calculation, the same gleam Cieran had whenever something caught his interest and refused to give up it's secrets.

_Damn. The bracelet should have made sure no nen left my body; he's got a keen perception. _Too keen for her liking.

"Check please." She could feel the focus intent on her, despite the blue-gaze – seemingly disinterested – turning elsewhere as she drained the last of her drink. And pulling out her recently-bought wallet intensified it, when her fumbling for bills dropped her collection of cards – bank card &amp; Hunter's License included – for a moment before she could pluck them mid-fall.

Although Piquan drew ignorance around her like a cloak when leaving, her License card went into her quiver instead of wallet. _I've had enough of all the pickpockets. _For some weird reason there'd been a lot of people almost bumping into her and Cieran ever since they'd finished the Exam. Suspiciously so, since she went out of her way to avoid unnecessary body contact.

And after the fifth time that'd happened, she'd confirmed her suspicions. Let a guy successfully 'fall' onto her, apologize, and go on his way… with her License in his hand. At least before Asuln had fallen on him in a snit of righteous scratching-pecking-fury to retrieve the card she'd already imbued with her nen. _Let white try his hand at stealing. I'm ready. _

No move came though, white remaining in the same spot as she exited the café. Still. She made sure to take note of that steady aura.

"Chirp!" Asuln landed in her air in a flutter of wings, rooting himself into a comfortable position as his tails draped around her shoulders.

"Piquan!" Cieran walked briskly towards her, brandishing a document like a trophy. "It's finally _done._" _We've done it. _

She sighed. "Did you even read the terms before signing?"

"_Piquaan_," he sighed, wave the page. "I know these types of guys. The paper's only a formality; the real deal's in the people they send." Black eyes were sincere, full of confidence. "I have the money, so they're honor-bound to clear my debt. Don't worry 'bout it."

"Hm… if you say so."

"Right." Cieran's aura flickered with relief, celebration, and an eagerness to go. "Since that's taken care of, let's go take the trains and meet my sister… then I can show you around my hometown. Ainya makes the _meanest _cottage pie-"

Her friend's good mood was infectious. Piquan let her worries from earlier wash away.

So when a familiar face showed up a day later on the frontlines of a local newspaper with headlines screaming _Cornelius Cummiskey's Life Gruesomely Cutoff_, the incident only raised a few thoughts before Cieran's sister whisked her away from the newsstand for clothes shopping.

Cieran's meeting, and whether there was any connection to it and the assassination of the _Dearthair_. Would Cieran would be suspected…?

And if the recollection of lake-blue eyes, and milk white hair instantly came to mind…well, the boy hadn't showed up to steal their Licenses as she'd been wary of, despite the interest he'd shown after her accidental leak of otherwise well-concealed nen and her License card.

Nothing more, besides a boy with sharp instincts and keener senses.

* * *

Killua Zoldyck could have cared less about the job itself.

It'd been easy. One pop of his claws, and one twist of the wrist. As usual.

Nothing remotely satisfying or fun about the job. But it'd been near a café famous for its sweets. Beaches. Candy-shops nearby. Might as well have checked it out.

Turns out the desserts _had_ been decent. Something to pass the time with at least, to travel earlier than the assigned day, get away from a home, from family he couldn't stand anymore…

Killua hadn't expected anything to be really interesting besides the food.

…Until some staring weirdo had almost_ reminded_ him of Illumi, for one split second.

Inside, he'd almost panicked. Illumi _couldn't_ have sent one of his puppets; he'd always preferred to follow Killua himself, not that was any better-

But the staring redhead hadn't acted like a puppet, if he could feel enough embarrassment to turn away like all the other strangers did when he stared back.

The flash of twin x's on red on a falling card he'd glimpsed gave him an idea. So weirdo was one of those Hunters…

_What if I become a Hunter?_

It was supposed to be dangerous. _Exciting._ Challenging, but something he could pass easily enough.

When he got it, he could stay anywhere in the world he wanted. Buy whatever he wanted, when he wanted to. Let him get _away_ from the house, for good.

Away from _Illumi_. Away from the _boredom_ that was his life.

(Away from the niggling sensation he was _forgetting_ something, someone important whenever he was at home.)

Flicking blood from his nails and hands, Killua hopped over the target's body. Lifted one of the cooling hands, and carefully picked up the poster from where it'd fallen. Wiped another red stain off it with one of the drier shirt-sleeves that wouldn't be missed among the other bodies.

Checked the date and pickup locations for the Exam in the Republic of Padokea.

One year 'till the nearest date. One year in that home 'till he could _leave._

…Just had to make sure he didn't explode of boredom.

* * *

Translations and Explanations

suit card – a regional term for playing cards.

_ten _– canon nen-technique of maintaining nen around the body to keep it from leaking away. Most basic defense technique.

_Deartháir_ – "brother" (Irish). Spelling is awfully close to death-air. One of the numerous crime gangs in the story in Cieran's hometown.

_zetsu_ – canon nen-technique of completely hiding one's nen so as to appear invisible nen-wise.

_Hepe_ – the Great Spirit of Manipulaters.

_Mandirigma_ – the Great Spirit of Enhancers

Unawakened – someone who cannot actively see, sense, or use nen.  
Awakened – nen-user

_gyo_ – canon nen-technique of focusing nen in the eyes to enhance eyesight and "see" harder-to-see or concealed nen.

Needleman – canon-technique of Illumi Zoldyck. A person Illumi has direct control over by implanting one of his needles into.


End file.
